Russia has offered to halt the invasion of Ukraine along the current frontlines, with Donald Trump effectively allowing Vladimir Putin to seize control of all Ukrainian territory occupied since the beginning of the war.
Volodymyr Zelensky pushed back at the idea of the country ceding territory as part of any potential peace agreement, a day before American, European and Ukrainian officials are set for high-level talks in London.
“There is nothing to talk about – it is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” said Zelensky.
The proposal is believed to be part of America’s seven-point plan to end the war, also includes recognising Crimea as part of Russia but offers no concrete security guarantees from the US going forwards.
While some European allies are wary of the proposal, there is also acknowledgment that Russia is firmly entrenched in five regions – Crimea, Luhansk, Donestsk, Zoporizhzhia and Kherson.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has dropped out of the peace talks meeting in London due to scheduling issues, with Lt General Keith Kellogg representing Washington.
Rubio to skip London peace talks
Retired Lt General Keith Kellogg, US president Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will represent Washington in the discussions later today in London, the US state department said.Secretary of state Marco Rubio won’t attend because of a scheduling issue, spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Mr Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff were part of the US delegation in Paris last week.
“They want diplomacy to work,” Ms Bruce said of Mr Trump and Mr Rubio.Mr Trump said last week that negotiations were “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the war.
That came after Mr Rubio suggested that the US might soon back away from negotiations if they don’t progress.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov cautioned 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 time frame for a settlement, a viable settlement – it would be a thankless task”.
Namita Singh23 April 2025 05:30
Zelensky pushes back on ceding Ukrainian territory
President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday pushed back against the idea of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia as part of any potential peace agreement, a day before American, European and Ukrainian officials were set for high-level talks in London.
During similar talks last week in Paris, US officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter.
But amid media reports about the US proposal, Mr Zelensky said the idea of ceding territory – including Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, seized by Russia more than a decade ago – is a nonstarter.
There is nothing to talk about – it is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people
Volodymyr Zelensky
Namita Singh23 April 2025 04:51
US proposes unofficial recognition of Russian controlled areas in Ukraine
The US wants a response in London today on a peace framework that includes unofficial recognition of Russian control of nearly all areas it has occupied since the start of the war in Ukraine, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing sources with direct knowledge of the proposal.
Under the proposal, which was first presented to Ukraine last week, the US would lift sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014 and would return a small part of Russian-occupied Kharkiv to Ukraine.
It added that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant would be considered as Ukrainian territory but operated by the US, with electricity supplied to both Ukraine and Russia.
Namita Singh23 April 2025 04:39
Trump wanted nothing to do with Ukraine in first administration – former adviser
Donald Trump wanted nothing to do with Ukraine during his first stint as US president from 2017 until 2021, his former adviser has said.
“Right from the very beginning, president Trump wanted nothing to do with Ukraine,” Fiona Hill, who advised on European and Russian Affairs during Mr Trump’s first stint, said.
“In his first phone call with [former German chancellor] Angela Merkel, she most famously asked him, ‘Donald, what are you going to do about Ukraine?’” Ms Hill said.
“[Trump] said, ‘No, Angela, it’s got nothing to do with me, what are you going to do about Ukraine?’
“And he’s been very consistent with his idea of trying to distance himself from the war in Ukraine, and frankly equally consistent in his desire to reset the Russian relationship with the US.”
Alex Croft23 April 2025 04:26
