The Kremlin has commented on the change in the format of the talks between the USA, the EU and Ukraine in London on 23 April. Peace talks on settling Russia’s war against Ukraine with the participation of foreign ministers in London have been postponed, but there will be a meeting of lower-level officials, the British government said earlier.
“As far as we understand, it has not yet been possible to converge positions on some issues,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
He added that Russian Federation was continuing contacts with the United States on a possible settlement of the war, but was not in contact with Europe or Ukraine.
Peskov also said that there are “many nuances around the negotiations to find a way to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, where it is necessary to bring positions closer together.”
The Kremlin’s statements came after the British government confirmed earlier today that peace talks on Ukraine involving foreign ministers, which were due to take place in London on 23 April, had been postponed. At the same time, it was reported that the talks by lower-level officials would still take place.
Meanwhile, the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed that he had arrived in London together with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, as well as Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
The drop in diplomacy comes amid increased pressure from US President Donald Trump and his team on Kiev and Moscow to achieve a ceasefire. Earlier it became known that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not go to the meeting. About this decision Rubio reported the spokeswoman of the State Department Tammy Bruce.
At the same time, the State Department confirmed the participation in the London meeting of President Trump’s special representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. “We look forward to hearing back from him about whether or not we had some success in London,” Bruce noted.
The announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected one of the conditions for a peace settlement that the Donald Trump administration had proposed, according to Western media reports: that Ukraine recognise Russian jurisdiction over Crimea.
Last week, after meeting with Ukrainian representatives and European allies in Paris, Rubio warned that US President Donald Trump was losing patience with the dragging negotiations and could devote his attention to “other priorities.”