A scheduled foreign ministers’ meeting in London to discuss peace proposals between Russia and Ukraine has been indefinitely postponed, the British Foreign Ministry has confirmed.
“Official level talks will continue but these are closed to media.”
The statement was issued early on April 23, shortly before the meeting was set to convene.
The abrupt cancellation came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called off a planned trip to London, where he had been slated to attend the foreign ministers’ meeting.
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Ukraine are now taking part in the downgraded meeting, which is being chaired by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, is now representing the United States at the talks.
Late on April 22, Rubio spoke to Lammy by phone, saying he would reschedule his visit in “coming months” to follow up on the “technical meetings” now underway in London.
“I extended my gratitude for hosting the U.S. delegation, led by Special Presidential Envoy Kellogg.
“Our team is looking forward to substantive and good technical meetings with Ukrainian and UK counterparts. I look forward to following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the UK in the coming months.”
‘Red Lines’
The downgraded London meeting follows a similar gathering in Paris on April 17 at which U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials discussed means of resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has lasted for more than three years.The April 17 meeting sought to forge a common approach to peacemaking efforts between Kyiv and its leading Western supporters.
It was the first meeting of its kind among U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials since Trump returned to office in January on promises to swiftly end the conflict.
Rubio had attended the meeting in Paris along with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Rubio later said that a U.S. framework for achieving peace—which he and Witkoff proposed at the meeting—had been positively received.
“The only objective that concerns us is to defend French interests and European security,” Barrot said in broadcast remarks on April 22.
“It’s the reason that, as the U.S. decides to place itself in a mediator position, that we make them hear what our ‘red lines’ are.”
As the downgraded meeting began in London, Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister and minister of economy, reiterated Kyiv’s position on the ongoing peacemaking efforts.
“There will be no agreement that hands Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup and return with greater violence. Our people will not accept a frozen conflict disguised as peace.
“We will never recognize the occupation of Crimea. And if NATO membership is not granted, Ukraine will require binding security guarantees—ones strong enough to deter future aggression.”
When asked about the postponement of the meeting in London, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attributed the move to the failure of U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials to agree on a common framework for peace talks.
On April 18, Trump and Rubio warned that the United States could abandon its peacemaking efforts in the absence of any clear signs of progress.
