US President Donald Trump has claimed that a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine is “very close,” but criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for rejecting the idea of formally giving up Crimea to Russia, reports RTE.
“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War,” Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social, and adding that “We are very close to a Deal.”
Mr Zelensky stated yesterday that Kyiv would not acknowledge Russian control over Crimea, the region Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, reports RTE.
“There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution,” Mr Zelensky said.
This follows “substantive” meetings in London between US, European, and Ukrainian officials, aimed at reviving peace talks. Questions about the progress of the discussions were raised after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly cancelled his planned trip, reports RTE.
Mr Rubio’s absence led to the cancellation of a broader session with foreign ministers from France, Germany, Britain, and Ukraine, highlighting growing divisions between Washington and its allies over how to resolve the ongoing conflict.
The downgrading of the meetings comes during a crucial moment, just days after Mr Trump warned the US might abandon the process if progress toward peace wasn’t made soon, reports RTE.
On Sunday, Mr Trump said he was hopeful Russia and Ukraine would reach a deal this week to bring an end to the three-year war.
The primary focus of the talks was to determine what concessions Kyiv might accept after Mr Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, presented proposals in Paris last week.
According to three diplomats, those proposals seemed to require more significant compromises from Ukraine than from Russia, reports RTE.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson downplayed Mr Rubio’s sudden withdrawal and emphasized that “substantive technical meetings with European, US and Ukrainian officials on how to stop the fighting” were ongoing.
“We remain absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and these talks today are an important part of that,” the spokesperson said, reports RTE.
Since Mr Trump voiced his commitment to mediating the conflict and made an unexpected call to Russian President Vladimir Putin in February, European countries have been trying to navigate support for Ukraine while ensuring continued US involvement.
However, several sources said that Mr Witkoff’s proposals—such as recognising Crimea as Russian territory, easing US sanctions on Russia, and blocking Ukraine’s NATO bid—were non-starters for Kyiv and European nations, reports RTE.
Vice President JD Vance, during a visit to India, expressed confidence that a resolution could be reached: “the Europeans, the Russians and the Ukrainians are ultimately able to get this thing over the finish line”.
“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process,” reports RTE.
“That means the Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own. There’s going to have to be some territorial swaps,” reports RTE.
The cancellation of Rubio’s visit highlighted the continuing challenges of bridging the divide between the involved parties.
A source familiar with the talks said the downgrade followed Ukraine’s submission of a document to European representatives stating it would not discuss territorial matters unless there was a “full and unconditional ceasefire.”
The source noted that US hesitation might reflect that Ukraine’s stance diverged from what Washington had reportedly agreed on with Moscow up to that point, reports RTE.
Despite claims that some of Mr Witkoff’s proposals had been positively received in Paris, Kyiv has rejected several of them, Mr Rubio confirmed.
UK officials pointed to ongoing technical meetings as evidence of continued diplomatic efforts to reach a resolution, reports RTE.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy and Defence Minister John Healey conducted “substantial” talks with their Ukrainian counterparts, and Mr Healey also met with US Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg.
Officials reported that Mr Rubio had a phone call with Mr Lammy yesterday and expressed plans to reschedule his visit, reports RTE.
Beyond the Crimea issue, other difficult matters persist. Sources indicate that the US has proposed Kyiv and European allies accept Russian control of the remaining 20% of Ukrainian land. Russia, in turn, is demanding the lifting of EU sanctions prior to any formal negotiations—an idea Europe strongly rejects.
Washington also suggested last week that a neutral zone be created at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, European diplomats said.
Mr Zelensky stated yesterday he was willing to work with the US to restart operations at the plant, reports RTE.
Some of the US suggestions are also unlikely to satisfy Russia. Two diplomats said Washington has not endorsed Moscow’s demand to demilitarise Ukraine and is not opposed to a European security force to protect Ukraine in the future.
Although Mr Witkoff was not present at the London meetings, he remains central to US diplomacy with Moscow and is scheduled to meet Mr Putin this week in Russia, according to the White House, reports RTE.
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