Trump says Zelenskyy hindering peace deal – DW – 04/24/2025

Ukrainian, European and US diplomats convened in London on Wednesday for a series of “substantive technical meetings … on how to stop the fighting” in Ukraine, according to a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The meetings were supposed to feature high-level talks between respective foreign ministers but were downgraded after the withdrawal at short notice of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, raising questions as to how much progress was really being made.

Instead, the United States was represented by General Keith Kellog, US President Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, in the meetings with European officials, plus a Ukrainian delegation including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who had initially planned to host his peers, was instead expected to “drop in” on the lower-level sessions.

“The foreign minister-level meeting isn’t happening,” one diplomat told The Washington Post, adding: “Without [Trump’s special
envoy Steve] Witkoff, the secretary of state [Rubio], [and] the French and German foreign ministers, there’s no reason for the foreign secretary to chair.”

The talks reportedly focussed on establishing what ceasefire terms Kyiv could feasibly accept after US envoy Witkoff presented proposals at a similar gathering in Paris last week which reportedly appeared to demand more concessions from Ukraine than from Russia.

“We remain absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and these talks today are an important part of that,” Prime Minister Starmer’s spokesperson said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s top aide Yermak said Ukraine was “committed” to US-led peace efforts. “We are grateful to our partners for their firm support and common desire to end the war as soon as possible,” he said after the talks in London.