Representatives from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States will meet in London on April 23 to continue talks on a potential ceasefire in Russia's war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on April 21.
"We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace," Zelensky posted on X following a call with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The meeting comes as Ukraine faces mounting pressure to respond to a controversial U.S. proposal that includes provisions for recognizing Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and barring Ukraine from joining NATO, the Wall Street Journal reported on April 20.
Senior Trump administration officials presented the plan to Ukrainian and European officials during the Paris talks on April 17.
The upcoming London meeting is expected to serve as a follow-up, with Ukrainian feedback playing a decisive role in whether the proposal will be formally introduced to Moscow.
U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg told Fox News on April 20 that "NATO isn't on the table," further confirming that Washington is considering excluding Ukraine's potential accession as part of the peace deal.
Kyiv has consistently said it would not recognize Russia's occupation of any Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.
The U.S. proposal would mark a dramatic shift from a decade of bipartisan policy in Washington and contradict international law, which considers the 2014 annexation illegal.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on April 21 that there is a "very good" chance of reaching a peace deal, citing recent talks as productive. Washington has previously signaled it may end its mediation efforts in the coming days if no meaningful progress is made.
Despite Trump's push for a ceasefire, Moscow has rejected a proposed 30-day truce and continues offensive operations. On April 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a one-day Easter ceasefire, which Zelensky said was violated around 3,000 times.
Kyiv has proposed a separate 30-day ceasefire focused on halting long-range drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure. Putin said the Kremlin needs to "look into" the proposal.
Chris York
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