Rubio concerned Ukraine may revert to “tough positions” in peace talks

According to Reuters, a European official stated that Rubio expressed concerns that Ukraine might revert to its previous “tough positions,” which could prevent any breakthroughs in the talks.

Earlier, CNN reported that a major meeting in London aimed at resolving Russia’s war in Ukraine had been downgraded after Rubio announced he would skip the summit, intensifying tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the future of Russian-occupied Crimea. Rubio was expected to participate in the discussions alongside Ukrainian, UK, and European officials, but State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce clarified on Tuesday that he would not attend due to "logistical issues."

On Wednesday, the UK's Foreign Office confirmed the postponement of the meeting, noting that “official level talks will continue but these are closed to media."

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, during a visit to India, told reporters, “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the US to walk away from this process. We’ve engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on the ground work.”

In Rubio’s absence, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, will represent the U.S. at the talks in London, Bruce confirmed. These discussions follow a meeting in Paris last week, where officials from the U.S., UK, France, and Germany discussed a U.S. framework for a potential ceasefire.

• The ministerial peace talks set for April 23 in London have been called off. Instead, the meeting will proceed with lower-ranking diplomats.
• U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance says the Trump administration may walk away from mediating negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.