Rubio bows out of Ukraine peace talks as Kyiv pushes back on US Crimea concession

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will skip a key meeting in London this week focused on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Kyiv flatly rejected a major component of Washington’s latest peace proposal: recognition of Moscow’s control over Crimea.

Rubio, who had been expected to join Ukrainian, British, and European leaders for the April 23 summit, pulled out due to “logistical issues,” according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Representing the US in his place will be President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired General Keith Kellogg.

The London gathering follows a high-level meeting in Paris last week, where US, UK, French, and German officials reviewed the American plan for a potential ceasefire. A senior official familiar with the framework told CNN that the proposal includes two key points: a ceasefire along the existing front lines and US recognition of Russia’s hold over Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Moscow annexed in 2014.

That last point, however, appears to be a dealbreaker for Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters on April 22, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his openness to peace talks with Russia but dismissed any suggestion that Ukraine would accept Russian sovereignty over Crimea.

“Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea,” Zelenskyy said firmly. “There is nothing to talk about. It is against our constitution.”

The US has long rejected Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and a shift in that policy would mark a seismic change in Washington’s position over the past decade.

Despite missing the summit, Rubio said on X that he held a “productive conversation” with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is hosting the London meeting. “(I look) forward to following up” with both UK and Ukrainian officials in the near future, he added.

The peace effort has gained urgency in recent weeks as US officials express growing impatience over the lack of movement toward ending the war. Trump himself said the US would need to see a real desire from both Kyiv and Moscow to end hostilities in order for Washington to stay involved.

Rubio previously warned that the US could walk away from negotiations if talks stalled.

The US ceasefire framework has now been shared with both parties to gauge whether their positions can be reconciled quickly, according to the State Department. While some components remain unresolved, American diplomats plan to work with European partners and Ukraine this week to flesh out the proposal.

In parallel, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is headed to Moscow to continue talks directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin confirmed Witkoff’s visit on April 22, though it provided no additional details.

At a White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt struck a cautiously optimistic tone, saying the negotiations are “hopefully moving in the right direction,” but she declined to elaborate on what pulling back from talks would look like for the US.

While Moscow has long resisted serious talks and previously rejected a US-brokered 30-day ceasefire deal accepted by Kyiv, both sides have shown rare willingness to engage since Trump ramped up pressure.

Putin, speaking on April 21, floated the idea of direct talks with Ukraine to discuss a potential halt to attacks on civilian targets — though he added that the sides still need to agree on what qualifies as a “civilian target.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later clarified Putin’s remarks, telling reporters that “(Putin) had in mind negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side."

By Tamilla Hasanova