Foreign ministers postpone planned London talks on war in Ukraine

The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ukraine have postponed planned peace talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine that were scheduled to take place in London on April 23, Sky News reported.

For now, the talks will proceed at the level of senior officials rather than foreign ministers. The U.K. Foreign Office confirmed the shift in format in a statement quoted by The Guardian, adding that the discussions will be held behind closed doors.

Despite the lower-level talks, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed that Ukraine’s delegation had arrived in London. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha are among the officials accompanying him.

The high-level meeting was called off after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio withdrew from the talks, citing scheduling-related “logistical issues.” Once his decision became public, Sky News reports, France and Germany suspended preparations for their ministers’ visits. A ministerial meeting may still take place at a later date.