A State Dept. Spokesperson brushed off inquiries about Marco Rubio's cancellation of plans to attend London peace talks regarding Russia's war in Ukraine.

Top US, British, French, and Ukrainian diplomats had planned to meet in London on Wednesday in hopes of advancing a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. No more. The high-level meeting was scrapped at the 11th hour after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff canceled their plans to attend.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was hopeful a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine can be reached soon but expressed doubt that any deal could materialize within a week, he said on April 23 in an interview with the Honestly podcast.

A major meeting in London aimed at bringing about an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine has been downgraded after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would skip the summit, escalating a clash between Washington and Kyiv over the future of Russian-occupied territory.

Ukraine is not ready to 'accept a frozen conflict,' deputy prime minister says Kyiv has rejected any deals which propose the recognition of Russia's authority over the occupied Crimean peninsula, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Wednesday,

By Elizabeth Piper, John Irish and Daphne Psaledakis LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - Talks between the U.S., Ukraine and European officials to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine faltered on Wednesday as U.