Rubio skips London talks as Ukraine rejects Crimea deal
US 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 UK, France, and Germany will also not be attending.
- On Wednesday in London, representatives from Ukraine, the US, France, and Germany are scheduled to discuss a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not participate in the talks.
- According to Sky News, the level of talks in London has been downgraded, as the foreign ministers of the other countries will also not be participating.
After a conversation with his British counterpart, Rubio announced that he is postponing his trip to the UK.
"I look forward to following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the UK in the coming months," he stated in a post on platform X.
He added that the peace talks on Ukraine will proceed, and President Donald Trump's envoy on 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.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce explained to reporters that Rubio's absence relates to "logistical issues in his schedule."
- Well, I do know – yes – that General Kellogg is there, and so he will be having those conversations, she explained.
According to Sky News, Britain's foreign minister, David Lammy, will also not participate in the talks. The delegation levels from France and Germany have similarly been lowered.
Ukraine says "no"
What is the reason for this? According to Sky News, this development occurred due to Kyiv's refusal to recognise Crimea as Russian.
It should be recalled that earlier this week, US media, including Axios and the "Wall Street Journal," reported that the United States expects Ukraine's response on Wednesday to the framework peace proposal, which includes unofficial recognition of Russian control over nearly 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.
