The Kremlin has officially commented on the change in the format of negotiations involving Ukraine, the USA, and the EU, scheduled for April 23 in London. Instead of the planned meetings of foreign ministers, a smaller meeting will take place, which has caused discontent from the Russian side.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“As far as we understand, it has not been possible to align positions on certain issues”
, noted Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president. He added that Russia is negotiating with the USA regarding a possible resolution of the conflict but is not maintaining contacts with Europe or Ukraine.
According to him, there are many nuances surrounding the search for ways to end the war, where the parties need to align their positions. This came after the British government confirmed that negotiations involving foreign ministers in London would be postponed, while negotiations with lower-level officials would still take place.
Diplomatic Situation and Ukraine’s Reaction
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, confirmed that he arrived in London along with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. At the same time, the level of diplomacy has decreased due to increased pressure from US President Donald Trump on Kyiv and Moscow to achieve a ceasefire.
It was previously reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to attend the scheduled meeting in London, as stated by State Department spokeswoman Tami Bruce. Meanwhile, the meeting will include Trump’s special representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and the American side is eagerly awaiting his feedback on the success of the negotiations.
Last week, after a meeting with Ukrainian and European representatives in Paris, Rubio warned that US President Donald Trump is losing patience with the prolonged negotiations and may shift focus to other priorities. It was also revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected one of the conditions for a peaceful settlement proposed by the Trump administration – the recognition of Russian jurisdiction over Crimea.