Talks in London involving US and European representatives on the conflict in Ukraine were cancelled at the last minute after parties reportedly failed to reach agreement on key issues, Vedomosti reports on April 23.

“In London, there was indeed talk about a meeting of envoys from the United States, envoys from Ukraine, so that the United States could continue its mediation efforts,” Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing on April 23. “As far as we understand, it has not yet been possible to bring positions closer together on some issues. And that is why this meeting has not taken place.”

As bne IntelliNews reported, the talks were going to be very difficult, as the US is demanding, among other things, that the EU and Bankova (Ukraine’s equivalent of the Kremlin) recognise Russia’s sovereignty over the Crimea, a deal-breaker for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has said several times that conceding the sovereignty of any Ukrainian territory to Russia is a “red line” he will not cross.

According to The Guardian, the talks were to have been chaired by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. According to a statement from the British Foreign Office, "official talks will continue but are closed to the media."

Leading diplomats from the UK, US, France, Germany and Ukraine postponed talks on the Ukrainian issue in London. Instead, talks will be held between senior officials from the five countries. At the same time, a bilateral meeting between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Lammy is expected.

Last week, Trump said that his “final offer” would be presented at the meeting and if no deal were reached the US would “walk away” from the Ukraine conflict.

Peskov said that Russia maintains communication with the United States, but said the Kremlin does not engage with European or Ukrainian representatives on conflict resolution. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed on April 23 that the London talks, which had been scheduled at foreign minister level, were postponed. Official discussions were continuing but remained closed to media, the ministry added.

The New York Times reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled his planned trip to London following a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv would not recognise Russia’s control over Crimea. According to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed sources, recognition of Crimea as part of Russia was among the proposals put forward by the US during a previous round of negotiations with Ukrainian and European officials in Paris on April 17.

No new date for the London talks has been announced, and neither the US State Department nor Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have provided immediate comment on the status of further negotiations.

Tensions surrounding the sovereignty of Crimea remain a major obstacle in diplomatic efforts to end the war. Zelenskiy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not cede any territory to Russia as part of a peace settlement.