Rubio's absence signals shift in U.S. stance on Ukraine talks
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not participate in the talks in London aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, the State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced on Tuesday. Sky News reported that the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany will also not attend.
- On Wednesday in London, representatives from Ukraine, the U.S., France, and Germany are expected to discuss a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be present at the talks.
- According to Sky News, the status of the talks in London has been downgraded, as the foreign ministers of the other countries will not attend either.
After a conversation with his British counterpart, Rubio announced that he is postponing his trip to the United Kingdom.
" look forward to following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the UK in the coming months," he shared in a post on platform X.
He added that the talks on peace in Ukraine will proceed and President Donald Trump's envoy for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, will participate.
Reuters, reporting on Rubio's absence from the meeting in London, speculates whether this might indicate that Trump has lowered Washington's expectations for these talks.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce explained to reporters that Rubio's absence is due to "logistical issues in his schedule."
"General Kellogg is there, so he will be leading these discussions," she explained.
According to Sky News, British Foreign Minister David Lammy will also not participate in the talks. The rank of the delegations from France and Germany has also been downgraded.
Ukraine says "no"
What's the reason for this? According to Sky News, it happened due to Kyiv's refusal to recognize Crimea as Russian. Read more here.
Earlier this week, American media, including Axios and the Wall Street Journal, reported that the United States expects a response from Ukraine on Wednesday to the proposed peace framework, which includes unofficial recognition of Russian control over nearly all occupied areas.
"Ukraine wants a quick and just peace, but if we start talking about sovereign territories, the format becomes an extension of the war, which is what Russia wants," President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Tuesday in response to the American proposal. "Ukraine does not recognize the annexation of Crimea; it is incompatible with our Constitution," Zelensky strongly stated.
Sources: reuters.com, PAP
