The planned meeting of the foreign ministers of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Ukraine on the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis, which was supposed to take place on April 23 in London, was canceled at the last minute
British The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that instead of a meeting at the ministerial level, a meeting at a lower level will be held diplomatic level, without publicly announcing the results of those talks.
This move came after the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the administration's proposed peace framework Donald Trump, according to the media.
Ukraine rejects "dictated peace"
As reported by the well-informed media platform Axios, Washington expected from Kiev a final response to the document, which was called the "final offer", drawn up after several secret diplomatic shuttle meetings, including a meeting of special US envoy Steve Witkoff with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under this plan, Ukraine would have to formally and legally recognize Russian control over Crimea and Moscow's de facto control over the occupied parts of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions in exchange for security guarantees and economic aid.
According to diplomatic sources, Zelensky rejected such an offer, saying that "Ukraine will not trade its territory." His position was supported by the Ukrainian delegation which, despite the cancellation of the ministerial meeting, still arrived in London, led by the head of the president's cabinet Andrey Yermak, the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrey Sibiya.
USA without unity with allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was supposed to present this proposal in London, canceled his trip after the Ukrainian president's statement. Soon after, the ministers of France and Germany, as well as the British Foreign Secretary David Lemmy, withdrew from the negotiations.
According to the Financial Times, this string of cancellations points to deep divisions among Western allies over the approach to the settlement. Ukrainian conflict.
"Not only did key American negotiators refuse to meet their French, British and Ukrainian counterparts in London, but it became evident that the real action was happening elsewhere," the paper added.
Trump's nine points for peace
The document originated from the "kitchen" of the US administration, and which caused controversy, allegedly contains nine points, which include:
Moscow is ready to freeze the conflict
In a parallel diplomatic initiative, the Kremlin reportedly offered through Vitkoff to halt the invasion of Ukraine along the current front line and abandon "maximalist goals" regarding conquered territories. This offer coincides with the American proposal, but was perceived in Europe as an attempt to allow Russia to "seal territorial gains".
European leaders, including Macron and Scholz, maintain that Ukraine's territorial integrity must be preserved and continue to support Kiev militarily and financially "until final victory."
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, recently rather confidently stated that "nobody doubts" that Russia will win the special military operation.
Divided Victory Day
Although the US insists that the proposed ceasefire document is the "last chance" for peace, Kiev is not ready for concessions that would mean recognition of the occupation of part of its territory. However, according to Bloomberg, US Vice President JD Vance stressed that the time has come to either say "yes" to this plan, or the United States will give up trying to end the war.
At the same time, the situation on the ground remains tense — after the short Easter truce, clashes continue along the entire front line, which shows that neither side in the conflict in Ukraine intends to back down and make concessions, neither politically nor militarily.
And the war in Ukraine will also mark the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism. While Russia is preparing for May 9 a grand parade in Moscow, Kyiv is organizing a special meeting on the same day to which it will invite the leaders of the European Union member states. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is currently the only EU leader who plans to attend the celebration in Moscow.
And while peace negotiations in Ukraine are stalling, it is increasingly clear that key decisions about the future map of Eastern Europe will be made as far as possible on the front lines, as quietly as possible through diplomatic channels that operate far from the public eye.
In a public appeal, 25 members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts accuse the President of Serbia of collapsing institutions, the media, the judiciary and the basic pillars of society.
Balancing between East and West gained a new dimension during the unexpected visit of Aleksandar Vučić to Ukraine. The German newspaper FAZ estimates that the President of Serbia managed to rhetorically satisfy all parties — but the question is how much longer this political gymnastics can last without shooting
President Aleksandar Vučić said that elections in Serbia will not be held before the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027, while students gathered around university blockades say that the time for extraordinary elections is now. They point to a drastic drop in support for SNS in the local elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić
When the owner of an illegal television station calls independent journalists "fascists" in a live broadcast, it's not just a question of ethics — it's also a question of law. This is precisely why the director of the Media and Reform Center, Nikola Stojanović, filed a criminal complaint against Bojan Avramović, the director of Niš TV, pointing to the ever-present targeting of professional media in Serbia.
The trust of Serbian citizens in the European Union is at a record low. Only 39 still want to see the country in the EU
Vučić is not defending the state, but himself from the state. With a drum on his back and a guitar in his hands, this man-orchestra performs two or three of the same songs without hearing, with falsifications and falling out of rhythm. His government and politics are like that. In short - dangerous for the environment
Arrests of professors, punishment of people, firing of journalists... The regime of Aleksandar Vučić is shining and is yet to shine. It is the decadent phase of the regime, the one towards the end
The example of the elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić shows that the truth is not given, but assumed. Truth is a task that a citizen fulfills. She always wins
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