Rubio and Witkoff had last week offered a controversial land-for-peace proposal recognizing Russia’s hold on Crimea—an offer Kyiv and Moscow rejected.
LONDON — High-stakes talks to broker a Ukraine ceasefire collapsed Wednesday after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff withdrew from planned meetings in London, dealing a blow to Kyiv’s short-term peace hopes.
Despite the collapse, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, proceeded with bilateral meetings with Ukrainian officials. “Despite everything, we continue working for peace,” Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak posted on X.
The setback comes as the Trump administration marks 100 days in office and intensifies its push for a truce. Rubio and Witkoff had last week offered a controversial land-for-peace proposal recognizing Russia’s hold on Crimea—an offer Kyiv and Moscow rejected.
Their absence “suggests that Washington is increasingly disinterested in drawn-out, multilateral negotiations,” said Dr. Bence Németh of King’s College London.
The British Foreign Ministry confirmed the talks were postponed, as France and Germany also pulled out. Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled openness to future bilateral talks.