Meetings between US, Ukraine and European officials were to be held in London on Wednesday to discuss the end of Russia’s full-scale invasion, but the meeting was downgraded to a lower level when the US Secretary of State canceled his participation.
Instead, Washington retired from Ukrainian envoy, General Keith Kellogg. General Keith Kellogg has missed some of the most important stages of negotiation since the new US administration took office.
Ukraine is represented in London by President’s Office’s Foreign Minister Andriy Yamak, Andri Sibikha, and Defense Minister Rasmu Umerov, who meets with European national security adviser and US authorities.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump put additional pressure on him, saying he wanted Moscow and Kiev to sign a deal to end the Russian war in their fourth year this week.
His plans reportedly include the United States, which grants Russia’s control over Crimea, which Moscow annexed when it first invaded Ukraine in 2014.
What was wrong?
The US reportedly submitted a peace proposal in a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Paris last week. The proposal is said to include Washington’s perception of occupation of Ukrainian territory in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Harson and Zaporidia regions.
The deal also prevents Ukraine from joining NATO, but also allows EU membership, raises sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014, and includes deeper energy and economic cooperation between the US and Russia.
In return, the US promised Ukraine a “robust security guarantee” supported by European countries and possibly like-minded countries, reporting on Wednesday, citing a source who spoke on conditions of anonymity.
There are few concessions from Russia included in the reported plans, except that Kyiv will regain control of the occupied territory of the Kharkiv region.
The report said the US was hoping to respond to its peace plan in London on Wednesday.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy excluded the recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea as part of a potential deal, reiterating that there were no peace negotiations before a complete ceasefire.
What now?
Ukraine will not legally recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea under any circumstances, Zelensky said at a briefing in Kiev on Tuesday.
“There’s nothing to talk about. This violates our constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukrainians,” Zelensky argued.
He also added that the Ukrainian delegation going to London is obligated to discuss the conditions of a full or partial ceasefire with Russia. “Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia in all forms, but only after an unconditional halt of hostility,” he added.
Ukrainian Yermak, arriving in London with the Minister of Foreign and Defense, said the consultations will focus on how to achieve a complete and unconditional ceasefire as a first step to peace.
“Despite everything, we work for peace,” Yermak said in a social media post.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulya Swillidenko said she would not accept a peace agreement that would give the Kiev the opportunity to reorganize the Kremlin for further attacks, and views a complete ceasefire as a “necessary first step.”
“We reaffirm our principled position as the Ukrainian delegation meets with our partners in London today. Ukraine is ready to negotiate, but we cannot surrender,” Swillidenko said.
FT reports that Putin had previously offered to the US to stop the Ukrainian invasion along the current frontline.
The source said last week the Russian leader told the US president’s envoy last week against Steve Witkov, the Middle East, that the Kremlin could abandon its “claims” in the open parts of four Moscow regions.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Moscow claimed it was calling the claim “medium production.”
“We cannot publish drafts of various regulatory options. In fact, they lose their effectiveness as soon as they are published,” Peskov said.
