Translections between the United States, Ukraine and European officials to end the Russian War in Ukraine failed on Wednesday while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suddenly canceled his trip to London and the negotiations were demoted.
The non-presentation of Rubio prompted a broader meeting of the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Great Britain, France and Germany to be canceled, although the talks continued at a lower level. The United States would now be represented by its Ukrainian envoy, General Keith Kellogg.
The demotion of talks occurred in the middle of a fatal attack of drones in the Ukrainian city of Marhanets on Wednesday. A Russian drone hit a bus, killing nine people and injuring nearly 50, said kyiv officials.
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said the bus was carrying workers from a mining and processing factory.
“An ordinary bus. Clearly a civilian object, a civilian target,” said Zelenskyy on X.
Russia has drawn a total of 134 attack drones to Ukraine overnight, kyiv’s Air Force said. There was no immediate comments from Russia.
Crimea status is supposed to be the point of sticking
On the diplomatic front, Rubio spoke to the British Foreign Minister David Lammy on Tuesday and said he was looking forward to reprogramming his trip in the coming months after Wednesday’s “technical meetings”.
Rubio and President Donald Trump warned at the end of last week that Washington could move away from the talks involving Ukraine and Russia if there was no progress in an agreement soon.
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Speaking when he arrived in London with foreign ministers and defense, Ukrainian presidential advisor Andriy Yermak said that talks would focus on means of reaching a complete and unconditional ceasefire as the first step towards peace.
“Despite everything, we will work for peace,” he said on social networks.
Reunion is a follow -up of a similar session in Paris last week when American, Ukrainian and European officials discussed the means to move forward and close to positions.
During these talks, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, presented an article to the participants describing proposals in which Ukraine in particular, but also Russia, should make concessions, according to three diplomats aware of talks.
Some of Washington’s proposals were unacceptable for European and Kyiv countries, several sources said. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, said on Tuesday that Europeans had detailed in the United States what they considered the non-negotiable aspects of a potential peace agreement.
Rubio last week said that the American framework he and Witkoff offered in Paris had received an encouraging reception.
But the sources said that among the American proposals, he recognized the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia, a decision that was not a starter for Europe and Ukraine.
Ukraine and Europeans should also accept the reality of Russia control over the remaining 20% of the territory of Ukraine. In addition, membership of NATO for Ukraine is excluded and the United States would begin to raise sanctions against Russia.
London talks were aimed at working to fill the differences and find areas that could satisfy Moscow and open serious negotiations, diplomats said.
Beyond Crimea, other major collision points remain, in particular the pressure of Russia to remove the sanctions of the European Union against it before the end of the negotiations, which firmly opposes Europe, diplomats said.
Washington proposed last week to establish a neutral area at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine occupied by Russia, according to European diplomats. Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he would be ready to join in the United States to restart the factory.
Poutine praises the production of weapons, but wants more
Some of Washington’s ideas are also likely to move Moscow. Two diplomats said that the United States did not push Russian demand to demail Ukraine and were not opposed to European force in future security guarantees for Ukraine.
While the United States is trying to push Ukraine to a ceasefire, Russia seems to be heading in the opposite direction. CBC Terence McKenna examines the latest movements and why some people think that Vladimir Putin could try to manipulate Donald Trump through his billionaire real estate boyfriend.
Witkoff had not been part of London talks. But on the parallel track of Washington diplomacy with Moscow, he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Russia, the White House said.
Putin’s comments said on Wednesday that Russia intended to develop military production more during the fourth year of its war in Ukraine, even if it holds talks about the implementation of the conflict.
Putin told a meeting of the State Military-Industrial Commission that almost all defense companies had placed their orders entirely last year.
