Europe Asia News

Instead, the talks will be held among senior officials from five countries, and the Ukrainian Foreign Minister is expected to be in the capital and meet bilaterally with David Lammy.

The lowered level of diplomacy contrasts with increasing pressure from Donald Trump and his team for Kyiv and Moscow to accept a ceasefire.

A U.S. peace proposal expected to be discussed in London includes recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. This proposal was rejected on Tuesday by Volodymyr Zelensky.

A plan reported by U.S. media over the weekend also freezes the current front lines as part of a peace deal.

Ukraine's allies reportedly hope to receive security guarantees and reconstruction projects in exchange for territorial concessions.

According to the Financial Times, Vladimir Putin has also proposed halting the occupation along current front lines, leaving about 20% of Ukrainian territory under Russian control. Whether Kyiv will accept the terms is unclear.

The U.S. President, who vowed to end Russia’s war in Ukraine quickly, now warns he will abandon mediating the peace talks if Kyiv and Moscow make a deal harder to achieve.

Marco Rubio also said last week that Washington would walk away from the talks if no progress is made within days.

Rubio, Lammy, and the foreign ministers of Ukraine, France, and Germany were to travel to London, but as of Tuesday, it was confirmed they would no longer attend.

Following this, Paris and Berlin also appeared to suspend their ministers' travel plans. A ministerial-level meeting is still hoped to occur soon.

Instead, U.S. envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg will take part in the London talks with senior French and German officials.