UK peace talks on Ukraine have hit a snag as Russia appears to be willing to abandon its territorial claims in exchange for US recognition of Crimea’s annexation. As tensions rise, Ukraine’s president has vowed not to recognize Crimea as Russian territory.
The UK’s ministerial-level peace talks with Russia on Ukraine have been downgraded at the last minute, amid speculation that Moscow is willing to change its position. The talks were due to take place in London on Wednesday, but they have been replaced by discussions at an official level.
The decision was made after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would not be attending the talks, citing a lack of progress in bilateral peace discussions between the White House and Kremlin. However, reports suggest that Russia is willing to abandon its territorial claims to three Ukrainian regions it only partially occupies in return for a US formal recognition of the annexation of Crimea as part of a ceasefire agreement.
Marco Antonio Rubio is an American politician and attorney serving as a United States Senator for Florida since 2011.
Born on May 28, 1971, in Miami, Florida, he rose to prominence with his Tea Party-backed candidacy in the 2010 Senate election.
Rubio's early life was marked by humble beginnings, growing up in a Cuban-American family in West Miami.
He earned his law degree from the University of Miami and served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2008.
The UK Foreign Office had initially indicated that ministerial-level meetings would be replaced by discussions at an official level, but now suggests that the talks will continue at a lower level. The British minister, David Lammy, said that the talks were productive and that officials would meet in London tomorrow to discuss Ukraine‘s security.
Ukraine has brought along a senior delegation led by Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s powerful chief of staff, as well as the foreign minister and defence minister. The country’s president, Zelenskyy, has stated that Ukraine will not recognize Crimea as Russian territory, citing its incompatibility with Ukraine‘s constitution.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician, actor, and comedian who has been the President of Ukraine since 2019.
Born on January 25, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, he rose to fame with his comedy TV show 'Servant of the People' which he also starred in.
In 2019, he won the presidential election with over 73% of the vote.
Prior to politics, Zelenskyy worked as a lawyer and founded his own production company.
He has been married to Olena Zelenska since 2003.
Russia continues to oppose the presence of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, which it sees as incompatible with Nato membership for ensuring security. The country has also accused Ukraine and the UK of bad faith over recent days, following reports of hundreds of violations of a 30-hour Easter ceasefire announced by Putin.
Vladimir Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad, Soviet Union.
He rose to prominence as a KGB agent and later served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000.
Putin became President of Russia in 2000 and has held the office since then, except for a four-year period from 2008 to 2012 when he served as Prime Minister due to constitutional term limits.
He has been re-elected multiple times, with his most recent term ending in 2024.
The situation remains tense, with Britain and France proposing to lead a 30-country strong ‘reassurance force’ into Ukraine after a ceasefire designed to prevent a future outbreak of fighting. However, Russia has said it objects to this proposal in the past. The talks are seen as a critical moment for Ukraine‘s security and for maintaining relationships between traditional allies.
- theguardian.com | UK peace talks on Ukraine downgraded as Marco Rubio pulls out
