Rubio and Witkoff Not Attending Ukraine Discussions in London
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not participate in the upcoming Ukraine talks in London, despite previous intentions to attend, as confirmed by the State Department. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has also opted out of...
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not participate in the upcoming Ukraine talks in London, despite previous intentions to attend, as confirmed by the State Department. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has also opted out of the meeting, and according to the Financial Times, he is set to visit Moscow instead.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce attributed Rubio’s withdrawal to scheduling conflicts, emphasizing that this decision does not indicate any shift in the US commitment to the peace process.
“Secretary Rubio is a busy man… And so when there’s certain plans, they’re conditional. And in this particular instance, while the meetings in London are still occurring, he will not be attending. But that is not a statement regarding the meetings; it’s a statement about logistical issues in his schedule,” Bruce explained to reporters on Tuesday.
General Keith Kellogg, another envoy from Trump’s administration who is engaged in direct negotiations with Kiev, will represent the US at the discussions in London. These talks will feature officials from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, all of whom support continued military backing for Ukraine, along with representatives from Kiev.
The London discussions come after a series of high-level meetings held in Paris last week, where Rubio and Witkoff engaged with European and Ukrainian officials. As reported by the New York Post, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov allegedly informed the US envoys that Kiev is “90%” aligned with Washington’s proposed peace framework, which has yet to be made public.
Sources mentioned by the Washington Post have claimed that the US proposals may include formally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and possibly lifting sanctions on Moscow as part of a future agreement. Simultaneously, the Financial Times reported that Russia is willing to cease hostilities along the existing front line.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the media and public to depend on official sources for updates on US-Russian talks regarding the Ukraine conflict, cautioning that “a lot of fakes are being published now, including by respected publications.” Both Washington and Moscow have confirmed that Witkoff will visit Russia for discussions “later this week.”
Moscow has consistently asserted that the status of Crimea, which was integrated into Russia in 2014 following a referendum held after a Western-backed coup in Kiev, along with four other former Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia in 2022, is non-negotiable. Russian officials argue that recognizing the “reality on the ground” is crucial for achieving sustainable peace.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce attributed Rubio’s withdrawal to scheduling conflicts, emphasizing that this decision does not indicate any shift in the US commitment to the peace process.
“Secretary Rubio is a busy man… And so when there’s certain plans, they’re conditional. And in this particular instance, while the meetings in London are still occurring, he will not be attending. But that is not a statement regarding the meetings; it’s a statement about logistical issues in his schedule,” Bruce explained to reporters on Tuesday.
General Keith Kellogg, another envoy from Trump’s administration who is engaged in direct negotiations with Kiev, will represent the US at the discussions in London. These talks will feature officials from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, all of whom support continued military backing for Ukraine, along with representatives from Kiev.
The London discussions come after a series of high-level meetings held in Paris last week, where Rubio and Witkoff engaged with European and Ukrainian officials. As reported by the New York Post, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov allegedly informed the US envoys that Kiev is “90%” aligned with Washington’s proposed peace framework, which has yet to be made public.
Sources mentioned by the Washington Post have claimed that the US proposals may include formally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and possibly lifting sanctions on Moscow as part of a future agreement. Simultaneously, the Financial Times reported that Russia is willing to cease hostilities along the existing front line.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the media and public to depend on official sources for updates on US-Russian talks regarding the Ukraine conflict, cautioning that “a lot of fakes are being published now, including by respected publications.” Both Washington and Moscow have confirmed that Witkoff will visit Russia for discussions “later this week.”
Moscow has consistently asserted that the status of Crimea, which was integrated into Russia in 2014 following a referendum held after a Western-backed coup in Kiev, along with four other former Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia in 2022, is non-negotiable. Russian officials argue that recognizing the “reality on the ground” is crucial for achieving sustainable peace.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
