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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
U.S., U.K., German, French, and Ukrainian officials began their meeting on April 23 to discuss a path toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war, Sky News reported.
The meeting was to be held at a ministerial level, but was downgraded after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his participation.
Rubio's move followed President Volodymyr Zelensky's ruling out the recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea as part of a potential deal. U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan reportedly includes the U.S. de jure recognizing Russian control over the peninsula.
The Ukrainian delegation, including Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, is now instead meeting European national security advisors, as well as U.S. officials.
The U.S. leadership was reportedly angered by Ukraine's refusal to cede territory to Russia and by its insistence on a full ceasefire as the first step toward peace, leading to the disruption of the talks, an official source told the Washington Post.
According to Reuters, Rubio's decision to not participate in the talks came after Ukraine delivered a document to European partners on April 22 declaring that Kyiv would not enter negotiations on territorial issues until "a full and unconditional ceasefire" had been achieved.
An unnamed source close to the discussions told Reuters that the U.S. appeared uneasy with Ukraine's position as it may not fully align with what American envoys have been discussing with Russian counterparts in recent weeks.
"Despite everything, we continue working for peace," Yermak said upon arrival in London.
"Today, we will discuss ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a comprehensive settlement and the achievement of a just and lasting peace."
A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Foreign Secretary David Lammy held a "productive call" with Rubio the day prior, during which the U.S. official "confirmed that the U.S. was looking forward to substantive and positive technical meetings in London today."
"We remain absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and these talks today are an important part of that," the Guardian quoted the spokesperson as saying.
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said that Kyiv is "ready to negotiate, but not surrender," stressing the need for security guarantees and rejecting recognition of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's territory.
Trump has said his country will abandon the peace efforts in the coming days unless progress is made. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Russia for a high-level meeting this week, even though he skipped the talks with European and Ukrainian officials.
Kateryna Hodunova
