Great Britain USA increases pressure on Russia and Ukraine to end the war
In the struggle for an early peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, the US government is increasing the pressure. Vice President JD Vance said that both sides would have to give up part of the territory they currently control - something that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had ruled out. A "clear proposal" had been made to the Russians and Ukrainians.
23.04.2025, 17:52
SDA
It was time for "them to either say yes" or for the US to withdraw from the negotiation process, Vance said during his trip to India. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously canceled his participation in a supposed summit in London.
Discussions on Wednesday in the British capital then only took place at advisor level, not among foreign ministers. A spokeswoman for the US State Department cited logistical reasons for Rubio's absence - expectations of rapid progress in London towards peace in Ukraine were therefore dampened.
A week ago, the US minister had attended a similar meeting in Paris. The New York Times reported that Rubio had decided on Tuesday to skip the next phase of the talks. The meeting in London was then downgraded, wrote the Politico portal.
Russia and Ukraine should give up part of the territory
Vance expressed himself all the more clearly in India. The US had engaged in an "extraordinary amount" of diplomacy and tried to "understand things from the perspective of both the Ukrainians and the Russians", said US President Donald Trump's Vice President, speaking of a "very fair proposal".
He did not give an exact timeframe for when both sides would have to say "yes". According to US media, US special envoy Steve Witkoff was also not present in London. He is expected to travel to Moscow again in the coming days to discuss ending the attack with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We'll see if the Europeans, the Russians and the Ukrainians are ultimately able to get this thing over the finish line," said Vance. However, he was "pretty optimistic". The goal is a "long-term" peace. "We hope that the Russians and Ukrainians will meet us halfway," Vance said.
Confusion in London
The fact that Rubio had not traveled to London had caused some confusion. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced on Platform X that he had spoken to Rubio on the phone. The UK is working with the USA, Ukraine and Europe to achieve peace and end the illegal invasion by the Russian president, Lammy wrote.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was also absent from London, with presidential advisor Emmanuel Bonne taking part in the consultations instead. As in Paris, Berlin sent Jens Plötner, the Chancellor's advisor for foreign and security policy, to the negotiations.
Conflict between Kiev and Washington the cause?
Rubio's refusal came shortly after Zelensky ruled out ceding territory. "There is nothing to talk about. This is outside our constitution," said the head of state in Kiev. Zelensky's words are likely to have been a reaction to media reports that Trump's "final offer" included legal recognition of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea annexed by Moscow as Russian. In addition, the occupation of further Ukrainian territories under Russian control would be de facto tolerated.
In return, Moscow should undertake to freeze the invasion along the current front line, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to military experts from the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), freezing the front line is no guarantee of future peace. Russia could use the pause in hostilities for further rearmament and a later resumption of aggression, especially if the agreement stipulates a moratorium on Western arms aid to Ukraine.
In addition, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not want to confirm that Moscow would even agree to the possibility of a halt to the fighting on the current front line. There are currently many false reports circulating in the media, but possible outlines of an agreement are not intended for the public. At the same time, he himself publicly speculated that the planned high-level meeting in London had failed due to differences between Kiev and Washington.
Consequences for Ukraine
A withdrawal of the USA - in this case possibly also as a supporter - would mean a massive weakening for Ukraine in its defensive fight against the Russian invasion. The high-ranking Ukrainian negotiating team in London, led by presidential advisor Andriy Yermak, reacted calmly for the time being. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha posted a photo with Lammy in the early afternoon in which he thanked the UK for its support. The team will discuss ways to strengthen Ukraine and achieve lasting peace, he wrote.
