Camilla Jessen
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has abruptly canceled his trip to high-stakes Ukraine peace talks in London.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pulled out of a major diplomatic meeting in London focused on finding a resolution to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, according to an April 22 report by The New York Times.
Tammy Bruce, a spokesperson for the State Department, said Rubio’s withdrawal was due to a scheduling conflict.
“It’s related to technical problems in his calendar,” she explained to reporters.
The high-level negotiations are set to begin today, April 23, with Rubio’s absence notably mirrored by that of Steve Witkoff, a special envoy under former President Donald Trump who has been in direct communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In their place, the U.S. will be represented by retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, another Trump-appointed figure.
As reported by Axios, the U.S. is awaiting a formal response from Ukraine regarding a proposed peace framework shared previously with Kyiv and key European partners. The proposal allegedly includes formal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and de facto acceptance of other areas currently under Russian control.
It also suggests Ukraine abandon its bid to join NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the proposal ahead of the talks, stating:
It’s outside our Constitution. This is our territory—the territory of the Ukrainian people.
He emphasized that Ukraine’s delegation in London would instead push for discussions centered on an “unconditional ceasefire.”
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to a Financial Times report claiming President Putin was willing to pause hostilities along the current battle lines in Ukraine.
Peskov dismissed the article, warning of widespread misinformation and urging reliance on official statements.
There are many fake reports being published right now, including by reputable outlets.