Talks between the U.S., Ukraine and European officials to end Russia’s war in Ukraine faltered on Wednesday as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly cancelled his trip to London and negotiations were downgraded.
Rubio’s no-show prompted a broader meeting of foreign ministers from Ukraine, Britain, France and Germany to be cancelled, although talks continued at a lower level. The U.S. would now be represented by its Ukraine envoy, Gen. Keith Kellogg.
The downgrading of the talks came amid a deadly drone attack in the Ukrainian city of Marhanets early Wednesday. A Russian drone hit a bus, killing nine people and injuring close to 50, Kyiv officials said.
Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said the bus was transporting workers of a mining and processing plant.
“An ordinary bus. Clearly a civilian object, a civilian target,” Zelenskyy said on X.
Russia fired a total of 134 attack drones at targets in Ukraine overnight, Kyiv’s air force said. There was no immediate comment from Russia.
Status of Crimea said to be sticking point
On the diplomatic front, Rubio spoke to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy late on Tuesday and said he looked forward to rescheduling his trip in the coming months after Wednesday’s “technical meetings.”
Both Rubio and U.S. President Donald Trump warned late last week that Washington could walk away from talks involving Ukraine and Russia if there was no progress on a deal soon.
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Speaking on his arrival in London with the foreign and defence ministers, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said the talks would focus on ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as a first step to peace.
“Despite everything, we will work for peace,” he said on social media.
The meeting is a follow-up to a similar session in Paris last week where U.S., Ukrainian and European officials discussed ways to move forward and narrow positions.
During those talks, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff presented a paper to the participants outlining proposals in which Ukraine in particular, but also Russia, would need to make concessions, according to three diplomats aware of the talks.
Some of Washington’s proposals were unacceptable to European countries and Kyiv, multiple sources said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that the Europeans had detailed to the United States what they view as the non-negotiable aspects of a potential peace accord.
Rubio last week said the U.S. framework that he and Witkoff proposed in Paris received an encouraging reception.
But the sources said that among the U.S. proposals was recognizing Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, a move that was a non-starter for Europe and Ukraine.
Ukraine and the Europeans would also need to accept the reality of Russia’s control of the remaining 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory. In addition, NATO membership for Ukraine would be ruled out and the U.S. would begin to lift sanctions on Russia.
The London talks were aimed at working to bridge differences and find areas that could satisfy Moscow and open a serious negotiation, diplomats said.
Beyond Crimea, other major sticking points remain, including Russia’s push for lifting European Union sanctions against it before negotiations are finished, which Europe staunchly opposes, diplomats said.
Washington proposed last week to establish a neutral zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine, according to European diplomats. Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he would be ready to partner with the United States to restart the plant.
Putin touts weapons production, but wants more
Some of Washington’s ideas are also likely to displease Moscow. Two diplomats said the U.S. was not pushing a Russian demand to demilitarize Ukraine and was not opposed to a European force as part of future security guarantees for Ukraine.
As the U.S. attempts to push Ukraine toward a ceasefire, Russia appears to be heading in the opposite direction. CBC’s Terence McKenna examines the latest moves and why some think Vladimir Putin might be trying to manipulate Donald Trump through his billionaire real estate buddy.
Witkoff had not been part of the London talks. But on Washington’s parallel track of diplomacy with Moscow, he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Russia, the White House said.
Putin comments on Wednesday signalled that Russia intends to further ramp up military production in the fourth year of its war in Ukraine, even as it holds talks on prospects for ending the conflict.
Putin told a meeting of the state Military-Industrial Commission that almost all defence enterprises had met their orders in full last year.
