U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance issued a warning on Wednesday (April 23, 2025), stating that the United States would “walk away” if Russia and Ukraine do not reach a peace deal. Envoys from Washington, Kyiv, and European nations gathered in Britain for talks.
“We’ve presented a clear proposal to both Russia and Ukraine, and it is now time for them to either agree or for the United States to step back from the process,” Mr. Vance told reporters in India.
Reports in the U.S. media suggested that President Donald Trump was willing to recognize Crimea as Russian territory, with Mr. Vance emphasizing that land swaps would be crucial to any agreement.
“This means that both Ukraine and Russia will need to give up some of their current territory,” he added.
The proposal was initially discussed at a meeting with European nations in Paris the previous week.
Amid a new wave of Russian air strikes that shattered a temporary Easter truce, a drone strike in Marganets, Ukraine, resulted in nine deaths and at least 30 injuries, as reported by the Dnipropetrovsk regional governor on Wednesday (April 23, 2025).
Additional strikes were reported in various regions of Ukraine and one person was wounded in Russia’s Belgorod region.
‘Work for peace’
A meeting of Foreign Ministers in London led by U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy was downgraded, indicating the challenges surrounding the negotiations.
“The Ukraine Peace Talks meeting with Foreign Ministers today is being postponed. Official-level talks will continue,” stated the Foreign Office.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that positions on key issues had not been reconciled, leading to the cancellation of the meeting.
U.S. Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne are still expected to attend, along with top Ukrainian officials.
Despite the setbacks, Ukrainian aide Andriy Yermak expressed determination to work towards peace.
A source from the Ukrainian presidency revealed that the delegation would engage in further discussions with European counterparts, while U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff planned a visit to Moscow.
According to The Financial Times, President Vladimir Putin indicated readiness to halt the invasion if Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea was recognized. However, Kremlin spokesman Mr. Peskov dismissed these reports as misinformation.
While Ukraine expressed readiness for direct talks with Russia after a ceasefire, President Zelenskyy reiterated the need for a cessation of hostilities before negotiations could proceed.
President Trump, who had pledged to resolve the conflict within 24 hours during his campaign, has faced challenges in securing concessions from Putin to end the conflict.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented a U.S. peace plan to Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, with both leaders emphasizing the importance of progress in the negotiations.
Trump’s spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that the President was frustrated with the lack of progress in the peace talks and emphasized his desire to see an end to the war.
The White House welcomed a temporary agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, but the Kremlin suggested that the moratorium had expired.
Published – April 23, 2025 05:30 pm IST
