Rubio to Exit From High-Stakes Ukraine Peace Talks in London, NYT Reports

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his planned trip to London, where key talks on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine are set to take place, The New York Times reported on April 22.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce attributed Rubio’s decision to scheduling issues. “It’s related to technical problems in his calendar,” Bruce told reporters.

The high-stakes negotiations are scheduled for today, April 23. Rubio’s absence will be matched by that of Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading direct talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Instead, the US delegation will be led by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, another Trump-appointed envoy.

According to Axios, the US is seeking a formal response from Ukraine regarding a peace proposal that was previously shared with both Kyiv and Washington’s European allies. The plan reportedly includes de jure recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and de facto acceptance of other areas currently occupied by Russian forces. It also calls for Ukraine to forgo its pursuit of NATO membership.

Zelenskyy responded ahead of the talks with an unequivocal statement rejecting those terms: “It’s outside our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the Ukrainian people,” he said.

He added that Ukraine’s delegation in London will instead focus on discussing prospects for an “unconditional ceasefire.”

The move comes shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly rejected a US-backed peace plan that would require Kyiv to recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to a recent Financial Times article titled “Vladimir Putin offers to halt Ukraine invasion along the current front line.”

The report suggests that Russian leader Vladimir Putin expressed openness to freezing hostilities along the existing front lines in Ukraine.

“There are many fake reports being published right now, including by reputable outlets,” Peskov said. “That’s why people should listen only to primary sources,” he said, denying the claims.

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