The much-anticipated meeting of officials from the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, and Ukraine — scheduled for Wednesday in London — has been downgraded following the decision by key participants to cancel their trips to the British capital. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister has already arrived in London for a bilateral meeting with his British counterpart, David Lammy.
This sudden change in the agenda comes amid increasing pressure from Donald Trump and his team for an immediate ceasefire agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. According to U.S. media, a new peace proposal expected to be discussed in London includes U.S. recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea — a proposal flatly rejected by Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday.
The same plan also calls for a “freezing” of hostilities along current frontlines as the basis for a peace agreement. Although not yet formalized, Western diplomatic sources report that potential concessions to Ukraine are being considered, including security guarantees and reconstruction projects, as compensation for possible territorial compromises.
The decision by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to skip the meeting reportedly also led to the French and German Foreign Ministers canceling their travel plans.
In Rubio’s place, Keith Kellogg — the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine — will attend the talks and meet with senior officials from France and Germany.
The UK and France appear to be taking the lead in efforts to ensure that Europe is not sidelined in any potential peace plan spearheaded by Trump. The diplomatic landscape remains fluid, with the balance between pro-Ukrainian stances and pressure to end the conflict proving delicate and fraught with risk.
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