Zelensky's ceasefire appeal amid London talks with Europe
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky calls for an immediate ceasefire with Russia. Talks are underway in London with representatives from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky appealed for a ceasefire with Russia. He conveyed his position on Wednesday via the Telegram messaging service.
Ukraine insists on an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire with Russia. […] Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it does not rule out any formats of talks that could lead to a ceasefire, Zelensky reminded.
Talks in London
Talks are taking place in London between the Ukrainian delegation and representatives from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, aimed at ending the conflict with Moscow.
The meetings are attended by, among others, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha and Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov. On the British side, David Lammy and John Healey are present. As emphasised by the head of the President of Ukraine's office, Andriy Yermak, the aim of the talks is to establish a full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step towards achieving lasting peace.
Lowered rank of talks
According to information provided by the British television channel Sky News, the rank of the talks has been lowered due to Kyiv's refusal to recognise Crimea as Russian territory. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is not attending the meeting, and the rank of the delegations from France and Germany has also been lowered.
Crimea at the centre of international negotiations
The administration of US President Donald Trump considered recognising Crimea as Russian territory as part of a future agreement to end the war in Ukraine. This information was reported by the American portal Semafor, citing sources familiar with the matter. Such a stance by Washington would be a significant concession to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long regarded Crimea as part of Russia.
According to Semafor, Trump administration officials also discussed the possibility of persuading the United Nations to recognise Crimea as Russian territory. The White House did not comment on these reports, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt only confirmed that Trump's team discussed possible territorial concessions by Kyiv with Ukrainian authorities, though no details were provided.
