U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not participate in the planned meeting in London involving representatives from Ukraine, the U.S., and the European Union, which was set to discuss the terms for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. This was confirmed by State Department spokesperson Tami Bruce, who noted that the decision to withdraw was made due to logistical difficulties in the diplomat’s schedule.
This is reported by Київ24
Reasons for Withdrawal and Prospects for Negotiations
Initially, on April 22, Bruce confirmed that
“there is potential in London”
, but later reported that Rubio would be unable to attend due to “logistical issues.” This news came as a surprise after last week’s negotiations in Paris with representatives from Ukraine and European countries, where U.S. presidential advisor on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, confirmed participation in the London meeting.
At the same time, reports indicate that the visit to London was canceled specifically due to internal scheduling issues, rather than a change in the U.S. position on Ukraine. Bruce added that “we look forward to hearing from Keith Kellogg regarding the outcomes in London.” It is also unclear whether another special envoy, Stephen Witkoff, who recently met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin several times, will participate in the negotiations.
Context and Next Steps in Diplomatic Negotiations
On April 17, negotiations regarding the end of the war took place in Paris, involving Ukraine, the U.S., France, Britain, and Germany. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for April 23 in London.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope that Ukraine and Russia would reach an agreement as early as next week, adding that after that both countries would “begin to do great business with the thriving U.S.” According to The Wall Street Journal, Kyiv is under pressure to respond to the Trump administration’s proposals, particularly regarding the recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the exclusion of Ukraine from NATO membership prospects.
These ideas were presented in a confidential document that was shared with Kyiv and European officials during the meeting in Paris, and now the U.S. expects a response from the Ukrainian side to it in London this week.