Officials from Ukraine, US and UK meet in London in latest push to stop the war

LONDON – Diplomats and defence chiefs from Britain, the U.S., European nations and Ukraine volition conscionable successful London connected Wednesday to push for a bid deal betwixt Moscow and Kyiv.

British Defense Secretary John Healey said the gathering of overseas ministers and nationalist information advisers follows talks past week successful Paris and volition see “what a ceasefire mightiness look similar and however to unafraid bid successful the agelong term.”

Those attending see retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia. The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended the Paris talks, was incapable to travel due to the fact that of a scheduling issue.

Britain has downplayed expectations of a breakthrough, but says this is an important week for diplomatic efforts to halt much than three years of fighting since Russia’s full-scale penetration of its neighbor.

Trump said past week that negotiations were “coming to a head” and the U.S. mightiness “take a pass” if either of the 2 sides didn’t determination toward peace.

Rubio has besides indicated the U.S. might soon backmost away from negotiations if they don’t progress, and suggested that Wednesday’s gathering could beryllium decisive successful determining whether the Trump medication continues its involvement.

Putin’s overseas affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said U.S. peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to sojourn Moscow again this week. Ushakov provided nary further details.

Western analysts accidental Moscow is successful nary unreserved to reason bid talks, due to the fact that it has battlefield momentum and wants to seizure much Ukrainian land.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman, Dave Pares said “the ball’s successful Russia’s court.

“Now is the clip for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to amusement he’s superior astir peace,” helium said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine’s delegation heading to the U.K. has a mandate to sermon lone an unconditional oregon partial ceasefire with Russia. He said that “after a ceasefire, we’re prepared to beryllium down for talks successful immoderate format.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov cautioned that “the colony contented is truthful analyzable that it would beryllium incorrect to enactment immoderate choky limits to it and effort to acceptable immoderate abbreviated clip framework for a settlement, a viable colony — it would beryllium a thankless task.”

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine person held abstracted talks with U.S. officials successful Saudi Arabia arsenic Trump tries to marque bully connected his run promise to extremity the wa r.

Western analysts accidental Moscow is successful nary unreserved to reason bid talks due to the fact that it has battlefield momentum and wants to seizure much Ukrainian land.

Russia has efficaciously rejected a U.S. connection for an contiguous and afloat 30-day halt successful the warring by imposing far-reaching conditions.

Putin declared a 30-hour unilateral ceasefire connected Saturday, but Ukraine and British officials said Russian attacks continued during the alleged pause. The Associated Press was incapable to verify whether a ceasefire was successful spot on the astir 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) beforehand line.

Meanwhile, some Russia and Ukraine are preparing for the spring-summer subject campaign, Ukrainian and Western officials say.

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