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Top Diplomats Postpone Ukraine Peace Talks in London Amid Tensions Over Crimea
Diplomats from the US, UK, Ukraine, and EU postpone key peace talks in London, downgrading to discussions among senior officials. Ukraine rejects proposals on Crimea.
ND
by News Desk
2025-04-23
Top Diplomats Postpone Ukraine Peace Talks in London Amid Tensions Over Crimea

A key diplomatic meeting aimed at discussing the end of the ongoing war in Ukraine has been postponed, with top diplomats from the United States, Ukraine, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom downgrading the planned discussions to talks among senior officials. The abrupt postponement was confirmed by the UK’s Foreign Office, though no specific reason was provided.

Despite the change in plans, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is still expected to meet with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy for bilateral talks. Additionally, Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov are still scheduled to attend meetings with their US and European counterparts in London.

Yermak expressed in social media posts that Ukraine remains committed to pursuing peace, despite the setbacks. "Today we will talk about ways to achieve a complete and unconditional ceasefire as the first step towards a full-fledged settlement process and achieving a just and sustainable peace," Yermak stated.

The original meeting, which followed earlier negotiations in Paris, was set to discuss a ceasefire framework presented by the US last week. However, the diplomatic discussions have been clouded by increasing frustration, particularly in Washington, over Ukraine’s opposition to some of the terms of the ceasefire proposal.

A significant point of contention has been the controversial provision in the ceasefire framework, which calls for Ukraine to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, a proposal Kyiv strongly opposes. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy rejected the suggestion outright, asserting that "There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory – the territory of the people of Ukraine."

Zelenskyy has warned that any discussions involving Crimea or other disputed regions, such as Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia, would only play into Russia’s hands by prolonging the war. He emphasized that peace talks could only proceed if Russia agrees to an unconditional halt to its military actions.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly offered to freeze fighting along current front lines as part of a potential agreement, though the proposal has yet to gain traction. Putin’s offer followed the expiration of a 30-hour Easter truce declared by Moscow, which both sides accused each other of violating.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned against rushing the peace process, stating that "the settlement issue is so complex that it would be wrong to put some tight limits to it and try to set some short timeframe for a settlement."

As the peace talks continue to face challenges, Russian forces have escalated attacks on civilian infrastructure, with overnight drone strikes hitting multiple targets across Ukraine. In Marhanets, a drone attack on a bus carrying workers killed nine people. Further attacks were reported in Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Poltava, and Kherson, where civilian casualties are expected.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey accused Russia of deliberately stalling the peace process, asserting that "while Putin has said he wants peace, he continues to play for time in the negotiations." He called Russia's actions a deliberate attempt to disrupt any meaningful progress toward peace.

The ongoing conflict continues to devastate Ukraine, with Russian forces intensifying their attacks on both military and civilian targets. As diplomatic efforts proceed, the situation remains fluid, with hopes for a resolution yet to be realized.

 
Tagged:

Diplomacy

PeaceTalks

ukrainewar

RussiaUkraineConflict

Crimea
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