United States, Ukrainian and European Union officials met on Wednesday in London to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine but chances of any breakthrough look slim after most foreign ministers pulled out despite US pressure for a deal.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier cancelled his trip to London and a meeting due to also include foreign ministers from Britain, Ukraine, France and Germany was postponed.
According to a European official, Rubio had indicated concern that Ukraine could revert to its previous tough positions, making any breakthrough at the talks impossible.
The downgrading of the talks comes despite warnings by US President Donald Trump that Washington could walk away if there was no progress on a deal soon
Trump had said on Sunday he hoped Moscow and Kyiv would make a deal this week to end the three-year conflict.
Late on Tuesday, Rubio spoke to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy that he looked forward to rescheduling his trip in the coming months after Wednesday's “technical meetings”.
According to a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the ball is in Russia's court on the talks,
“We clearly support President Trump's attempts to bring peace (and) Ukraine's calls for Russia to commit a full ceasefire,”; he said.
The White House said Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff had not been part of the London talks, but on Washington's parallel track of diplomacy with Moscow, he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Russia.
DAILY POST reports that the London meeting is a follow-up to a similar session in Paris last week where US, Ukrainian and EU officials discussed ways to achieve peace.
Trump's Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg will still be in London for the talks.
European diplomats said the objective last week was for the Americans, Europeans and Ukrainians to formulate a joint position by trying to move Washington closer to the European and Ukrainian position.
