In a sharp warning, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that the U.S. would “walk away” from peace talks unless both Ukraine and Russia agreed to a deal. His comments came amid a shift in diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing war.
Vance’s remarks follow tense talks in London, where officials from the UK, France, Germany, Ukraine, and the U.S. were supposed to meet to secure a ceasefire. However, these talks hit a snag after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff abruptly pulled out. With diplomatic momentum faltering, all eyes now turn to Moscow, where Witkoff is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the fourth time.
As talks shift to Russia, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky remains adamant about his country’s position, calling for “an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire.” Zelensky took to social media on Wednesday, emphasizing that “stopping the killing is task number one.”
Meanwhile, Vance has stressed that the U.S. has presented a “very explicit proposal” to both sides. “It’s time for them to either say yes, or for the U.S. to walk away from this process,” he stated. Despite the high stakes, there is growing uncertainty about where the talks are headed.
The American shift comes after Trump-era Ukraine envoy Gen. Keith Kellogg attended the London talks in place of Witkoff and Rubio. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with his Ukrainian counterpart on Wednesday, aiming to keep the conversation moving forward.
While a breakthrough seems elusive, there are whispers that Russia may be open to halting its invasion along current front lines in exchange for significant concessions, including a possible deal over Crimea. However, Ukrainian President Zelensky has firmly rejected this, stating that “Ukraine does not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea,” asserting that “there’s nothing to talk about.”
Amid this diplomatic back-and-forth, Russian attacks continue to intensify. On Wednesday, a Russian drone strike in the eastern city of Marhanets killed nine people and wounded dozens more. Officials in Kherson also reported that repeated Russian strikes had destroyed a key power facility, further escalating the devastation.
Despite these setbacks, the diplomatic train continues to roll forward. The UK Foreign Office confirmed that while some talks were postponed, discussions at the official level would continue behind closed doors. Still, questions linger about why the U.S. delegation chose to withdraw at the last minute. British diplomats noted that they were caught off guard by the sudden change, although the U.S. State Department cited logistical reasons for the withdrawal.
Russia’s possible willingness to stop its advances along current lines has sparked rumors, particularly after a report in the Financial Times suggested that the Kremlin might consider giving up its claims to territories it does not currently occupy in exchange for U.S. recognition of Crimea as Russian territory. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov quickly dismissed the report as “fakes.”
Despite the turbulence in the talks, Ukrainian officials are clear about their goals. Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries, said that discussions about Crimea are “not productive” and called it “naïve” to expect Ukraine to change its stance on such “non-negotiable” issues. Ukrainian negotiators, he said, are attending the London meeting with a “clear, narrow mandate” to push for a ceasefire, paving the way for further discussions.
While Russian President Putin declared a temporary ceasefire over the Easter weekend, the UK’s Defense Secretary, John Healey, countered by stating that British military intelligence found no evidence of a reduction in attacks. “Putin says he wants peace, but he continues to reject a full ceasefire while playing for time in negotiations,” Healey remarked.
The war, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is showing no signs of slowing down. With growing pressure on both sides, the coming days may prove pivotal in determining the course of the conflict—and whether diplomacy can ultimately prevail.
