During similar talks last week in Paris, U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the issue is expected to be on the agenda for discussion again this week as all parties focus on finding consensus on a credible approach for ending the war that the United States can convey to the Russians.
But amid media reports about the U.S. proposal, Zelensky stated the idea of ceding territory — including Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, seized by Russia more than a decade ago — is a nonstarter.
“There is nothing to talk about — it is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky added.
Some European allies are at least somewhat wary of the American proposal. But there’s also acknowledgment by some allies that Russia is firmly entrenched wholly or partially in five regions of Ukraine — Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Still, Ukraine’s territorial integrity and aspirations to strengthen ties with the rest of the continent are a top priority for the Europeans, the European official noted.
It remains to be seen whether the latest diplomatic efforts can lead to an endgame after more than three years of war since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will represent Washington in the discussions in London, the U.S. State Department announced.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio won’t attend because of a scheduling issue, spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff were part of the U.S. delegation in Paris last week.
“They want diplomacy to work,” Bruce said of Trump and Rubio.
Trump stated last week that negotiations were “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the war. That came after Rubio suggested that the U.S. might soon back away from negotiations if they don’t progress.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned that “the settlement issue is so complex that it would be wrong to put some tight limits to it and try to set some short time frame for a settlement, a viable settlement — it would be a thankless task.”
Zelensky also told journalists that after the ceasefire, we are ready to sit down in any format.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday for the first time in years that he would be open to bilateral talks with Kyiv.
