Secretary Rubio skips London peace talks as Ukraine tensions rise
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not participate in the talks in London aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, 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 participate.
- On Wednesday in London, representatives of Ukraine, the U.S., France, and Germany are scheduled to discuss a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not participate in the talks.
- According to Sky News, the level of the talks in London has been downgraded—the foreign ministers of the other countries will also not take part.
After speaking with his British counterpart, Rubio announced that he is postponing his trip to the United Kingdom.
"I look forward to following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the UK in the coming months," he posted on the X platform.
He added that the talks regarding peace in Ukraine will take place and President Donald Trump's envoy on Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, will participate.
Reuters, which reports Rubio's absence at the London meeting, wonders whether this could mean that Trump has lowered Washington's expectations for these talks.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce explained to reporters that Rubio's absence is related to "logistical issues in his schedule."
- General Kellogg is there, and so he will be having those conversations - she explained.
According to Sky News, British Foreign Minister David Lammy will also not participate in the talks. The level of the delegation from France and Germany has also been downgraded.
Ukraine says "no"
What is the reason for this? According to Sky News, it happened because Kyiv did not agree to recognize Crimea as Russian.
Let's recall that earlier this week, American media, including Axios and the "Wall Street Journal," reported that the United States expects Ukraine's response to the proposal for a peace framework on Wednesday, which includes informal recognition of Russian control over almost all occupied areas.
- Ukraine wants a swift and fair peace, but if the conversation is about sovereign territories, then the format moves into prolonging the war, which is what Russia wants, declared President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in response to the American proposal. - There is nothing new to mention or discuss. Ukraine will not recognise the occupation of Crimea - Zelensky stated forcefully, highlighting it would be incompatible with Ukraine’s constitution.
