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.

“I don’t know about by the end of the week. I’m hopeful that we can get to something quickly,” Rubio said. “And I remain hopeful that we can get something done because this is a terrible war and it needs to end.”

His comments come as the White House ramps up diplomatic efforts for Kyiv and Moscow to come to the table to negotiate an end to Russia’s full-scale invasion. U.S. President Donald Trump declared on April 21 said that a deal between Ukraine and Russia could be struck “this week.”

In the interview, Rubio also said the U.S. understands Russia’s position better after reestablishing contact with Moscow. Former U.S. President Joe Biden cut off formal communications with the Kremlin after the start of the invasion in February 2022.

“We have a better understanding of that now because we’ve actually spoken to them after three years of not speaking to them,” he said.

Rubio also said there is “no military end to this war,” adding that “Russia’s not just going to roll over Ukraine and take the whole country, and Ukraine’s not going to push them all the way back to where they were before 2014.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said during a visit to India on April 23 that the U.S. had submitted a “very explicit proposal” to both Kyiv and Moscow. Vance warned that unless the two sides move forward, Washington may abandon its mediation efforts.

“We really tried to understand things from the perspectives of both Ukrainians and Russians,” he said, describing the plan as “very fair.” The proposal reportedly includes freezing current front lines and accepting that both sides will need to cede some territorial claims.  

Rubio also signaled that Washington may move on, unless progress is made. “Ultimately it’s not up to us. It’s up to Russia, and it’s up to Ukraine. They have to make the decision that they’re willing to move closer to one another, and we need to start to see progress.”

Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff declined to participate in diplomatic meetings taking place in London on April 23. The talks were originally planned as a ministerial-level summit involving the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and Ukraine, but was downgraded after Rubio’s withdrawal.

Downgraded peace talks between US, Ukraine, and European allies begin in London

The meeting was to be held at a ministerial level, but was downgraded after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his participation.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

President Donald Trump claimed in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that the U.S. is not forcing Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian, following reports a U.S. peace plan includes the U.S. formally recognizing Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea.

“Nobody is asking (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” Trump wrote.

If Trump recognizes Crimea, the biggest losers are Ukraine — and the US, experts say

Formally recognizing Crimea as Russian would breach international law and potentially open the door to further global conflicts, experts warn.

The Kyiv IndependentNatalia Yermak

More than 1,500 foreign mercenaries from 48 countries recruited to fight for Russia against Ukraine have been identified in an investigation by the independent Russian media outlet Important Stories published on April 23.

Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s earlier claims that Russia had “no need” for foreign fighters, the data reveals widespread recruitment through official military selection points in Moscow.

Journalists obtained the names and nationalities of the mercenaries through a leaked database from the Unified Medical Information and Analytical System of Moscow.

According to the publication, these individuals passed through Moscow’s recruitment center between April 2023 and May 2024. Of the more than 1,500 foreigners processed, at least 1,300 have been identified by nationality.

Nepal tops the list, with at least 603 nationals joining the Russian army. The influx reportedly began in small groups in mid-2023, escalating to over 370 Nepalese recruits passing through the Moscow selection point in October alone.

Recruitment declined by the end of the year, reportedly following diplomatic protests from Nepal.

Other nationalities include citizens of Sri Lanka (64), China (51), India (43), Serbia (8), Cuba (8), and Latvia (4). From former Soviet states, recruits include citizens of Tajikistan (86), Uzbekistan and Belarus (71 each), Kyrgyzstan (64), Kazakhstan (59), Turkmenistan (19), and Moldova (12).

The total number of foreign fighters is likely far higher. On Feb. 11, CNN reported that up to 15,000 Nepalese citizens could have been recruited by Russia.

Ukrainian forces have also confirmed the presence of foreign fighters on the battlefield. In early April, two Chinese nationals were captured in Donetsk Oblast while fighting for Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky later said that “several hundred” Chinese nationals were taking part in the war on Russia’s side. One detainee reportedly paid a middleman 300,000 rubles (about $3,500) to enlist in exchange for Russian citizenship.

China has denied involvement, claiming it urges its citizens to avoid armed conflicts. Moscow has also used some 12,000 North Korean army troops dispatched by Pyongyang to counter the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast.

‘Groundless accusations, political manipulations’ — China reacts to Ukraine summoning its envoy

A day earlier, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun was invited to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

As Ukrainian, American, and European officials meet in London to discuss a U.S. peace plan that includes recognizing Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, experts warn that formally giving Crimea up to Russia would breach international law and potentially open the door for further global conflicts.

Other experts go further, saying the U.S. peace proposal — which also reportedly includes the de facto recognition of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory and a ban on NATO membership for Ukraine, while asking little of the Kremlin in return — amounts to the U.S. rewarding Russia for its invasion and Ukraine’s capitulation.

“This isn’t negotiation, this is surrender,” said Aaron Gasch Burnett, security expert and senior fellow at Democratic Strategy Initiative.

“The Russians get everything they want,” he told the Kyiv Independent, adding that “the U.S. is essentially trying to negotiate Ukraine’s surrender, and the U.S. is surrendering its own international leadership by doing it.”

Speaking to journalists on April 23, U.S. Vice President JD Vance called the plan “very fair,” before threatening both Russia and Ukraine to say yes to the proposal or the U.S. would walk away from negotiations.

Violating international law and undermining security

Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 in the wake of the Euromaidan Revolution that was set off by then-President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to pull out of an association agreement with the EU.

In response, the U.S. and 99 other member states in the United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution declaring the annexation illegal.

Formally recognizing Russia’s illegal annexation now “would be a clear violation of international law,” said Stefan Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham.

“It is unlikely that a majority of Ukraine’s remaining allies would follow suit, but other countries more closely aligned with Russia already might,” Wolff told the Kyiv Independent.

Leaving Crimea in Russia’s hands would “open up a can of worms on all kinds of potential global conflicts,” Burnett said.

“Authoritarians will learn that all they really have to do is invade their neighbor, stick it out, and then eventually they’ll be rewarded for it — that imperialism pays,” he added.

Even if a cascading effect of other invasions and annexations as a result of the U.S. formally recognizing Crimea remains to be seen, several candidates could take Russia’s example like Venezuela with Guayana, Morocco with Western Sahara, Rwanda and the eastern DRC, Sudan or South Sudan and the Abyei territory, according to Wolff.

“Those countries might feel emboldened,” Wolff said. “But it doesn’t mean that they would necessarily get away with it because their neighbors, regional and global, might feel disinclined to tolerate such illegal land grabs.”

Ukraine’s neighbors in Europe also have the necessary resources to oppose the U.S. proposal, according to Burnett.

“If (the U.S. recognizes Crimea as Russian), that’s on Europe,” he said. “It will become an indictment of how far Europe has fallen if it agrees to this sort of deal.”

“(They could react by) increasing their own willingness to support Ukraine with military kit, with boots on the ground in some form, or most consequentially, in my view, to finally seize the $300 billion in frozen assets and transfer them to a compensation fund for Ukraine,” Burnett added.

Europe must finally take charge of its security — starting in Ukraine

It ended with a bang, not a whimper. By the close of this year’s Munich Security Conference, the old U.S.-led security order appeared to have changed unrecognizably. Now, as Russia’s full-scale war enters its fourth year and peace talks begin, without clarity on Europe’s or

The Kyiv IndependentTennyson Dearing

Weak negotiators

During his first term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed the U.S.’s opposition to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea by adopting the Crimea Declaration.

The declaration, issued by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, stated that, “The United States rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored.”

Trump’s current plan to reverse the course upheld by his own previous administration and the international community appears less of a negotiating tactic than a capitulation to Russia’s demands, experts say.

“The idea that you would have both recognition of Crimea and no NATO for Ukraine on the table is ridiculous,” Burnett said.

“It may be different if the U.S. were offering (that Russia) can have Crimea, but the rest of Ukraine is coming into NATO. (At least) there would be actual negotiation happening there,” he added.

“The U.S. is not asking Russia to give up anything.”

Experts say that a peace proposal that gives up too much to Russia sacrifices its international leadership by threatening its own interests, which include a peaceful, stable Europe.

“It would also be unprecedented in the sense that Washington would be siding with Russia to an extent that even Beijing has not,” Wolff said.

“All the sticks are for Ukraine, and carrots only exclusively for Putin,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, a top MP from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party. “It looks unfair, it looks ridiculous. As a result of this, Trump looks weak, definitely not strong, not great.”

“The only thing it really does is it signals to the world that America is keen to wash its hands off of this whole thing,” Burnett said.

Will Ukraine accept the recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation?

There is no constitutional mechanism for the Ukrainian government to accept a breach of territorial integrity, according to lawmakers. The Constitution of Ukraine says that issues of altering the territory of Ukraine, which legally includes Crimea, are to be resolved exclusively by nationwide referendum.

Recognizing Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea is a highly unpopular decision among Ukrainians. Accepting the U.S. proposal would likely be political suicide for anyone in Ukrainian leadership.

“Recognizing Crimea as Russian not only contradicts Ukraine’s official position — that it is a clear red line — and it would never be accepted by the Ukrainian people,” said Halyna Yanchenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker from President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People Party.

“No Ukrainian government has a mandate to recognize Crimea as Russian,” she told the Kyiv Independent. “There is simply no chance such a deal would pass a vote in Ukraine’s Parliament.”

Nariman Dzhelyal, deputy chairman of the Mejlis, a representative body of indigenous Crimean Tatars who have faced persecution by Russia in Crimea, said that Crimean Tatars have always supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity and European integration.

“The firm statements of our leadership about their intention to continue the struggle for the liberation of Crimea are the only thing that gives Ukrainian citizens in Crimea a sense of hope for the future,” Dzhelyal, former political prisoner who was released in an exchange in 2024 after three years in a Russian prison, told the Kyiv Independent.

Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, polls have shown that Ukrainians largely refuse to give up Crimea.

In March 2022, 80% of respondents in a poll by the independent group Rating said Ukraine should do everything possible to bring Crimea — and the Russian-occupied eastern Donbas — back under Ukraine’s control.

Some in Ukraine have grown to accept the idea of territorial concessions in exchange for peace over the course of the full-scale invasion. But according to a nationwide poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in 2024, no more than 32% of Ukrainians agreed to consider giving away some territories to Russia.

“Our people will not accept a frozen conflict disguised as peace. We will never recognize the occupation of Crimea,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister and economy minister, on April 23.

Chris York contributed reporting to this article.

Note from the author:

Hello, this is Natalia Yermak,  the author of this piece. In our newsroom, it's "all hands on deck" in the days like this, when Ukraine's fate is decided on a global level. Your support is essential to our coverage – please consider supporting the Kyiv Independent by becoming a member. Thank you!

The 2014 annexation of Crimea — How Russia stole Ukraine’s peninsula

Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in February 2014 amid the deadliest days of the EuroMaidan Revolution that eventually ousted Ukraine’s then-President Viktor Yanukovych. While Yanukovych’s pro-Russian regime was killing protesters in central Kyiv, around 30,000 Russian troops crossed into Crimea, taking hold of the 27,000-square-kilometer (10,400-square-mile) peninsula

The Kyiv IndependentLucy Minicozzi-Wheeland

Reports that the U.S. could formally give de jure recognition to Russia’s control over Crimea have landed like a bombshell in Kyiv, with lawmakers unanimous in their opposition to such a move, as well as issuing grave warnings about its potential consequences.

"(The potential recognition of Crimea’s annexation) sets a very dangerous precedent that could plunge the world into numerous wars," Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker with the European Solidarity Party, told the Kyiv Independent.

"Ukraine should not side with those intending to violate the fundamental principles established after World War II," he added.

The Trump administration’s final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included U.S. de jure recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea, along with de facto recognition of its occupation of other Ukrainian territories, Axios reported on April 23, citing sources.

The news supports earlier reporting that the recognition of Russia’s occupation of Crimea and a ban on Ukraine joining NATO are being considered as part of a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war.

Yelyzaveta Yasko, a lawmaker from the Servant of the People party, told the Kyiv Independent that she “really fears” the question of recognizing Crimea being raised during negotiations.

“I don’t like it. I cannot imagine us agreeing to this if it’s real de jure recognition, if I’m honest. If it was de facto then we could, but de jure is too much” she said.

De facto recognition would mean accepting that where Russian troops are in control of Ukrainian territory, at least for the foreseeable future, they remain so.

But it would leave open the option of the land returning to Ukraine, potentially by diplomatic means, something President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously acknowledged could be the only way to regain control of Crimea.

De jure recognition, however, would be final — an admission that the land in question is under Russian control and will remain so indefinitely. The only means of reversing it would be by force.

Russia occupied Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in February 2014. In March 2014, the Russian-controlled Crimean parliament voted to hold a “referendum” to join Russia.

The sham voting on annexation was conducted in the absence of any international observers and with armed Russian soldiers present at polling locations.

Ukrainian lawmakers who spoke to the Kyiv Independent said recognizing Russia’s de jure control of the peninsula is next to impossible.

“The Ukrainian Constitution does not provide for the recognition of its territories as being seized by another (country),” Ariev said.

According to the Ukrainian Constitution, Crimea is a legally recognized and inseparable part of Ukraine.

No acts can be passed by the Ukrainian government that contradict the country’s Constitution.

The only way Ukraine could legally recognize Crimea as Russian would be to hold a referendum on the issue and put the vote to the people. While recent polling shows the number of Ukrainians willing to make territorial concessions to end the war has risen, a majority still oppose the idea.

Further, polling has not specified between de facto and de jure control, with de jure likely to be more heavily opposed than de facto.

“No Ukrainian government has a mandate to recognize Crimea as Russian,” Halyna Yanchenko, a lawmaker from the Servant of the People party, told the Kyiv Independent.

“Any peace agreement that includes such a provision would risk sparking unrest within the country. That’s why no Ukrainian leadership would ever agree to it.

“And there is simply no chance such a deal would pass a vote in Ukraine’s Parliament."

Ukraine finds itself in what Zelensky on April 22 described as “a very dangerous moment,” with the U.S. threatening to back out of the peace effort if Kyiv doesn’t agree to its proposal.

Talking to journalists during a visit to India, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that it is time for Kyiv and Moscow “to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process."

All of this risks playing into the hands of the Kremlin, with both Moscow and Washington potentially being able to point to Ukraine’s refusal as the main sticking point of negotiations.

“Ukraine will never agree,” Oleksandr Merezhko, lawmaker and chair of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee, told the Kyiv Independent.

“It will be considered as a provocation with a view (for the U.S.) to exit negotiations and to put the blame on the victim of the aggression."

Ariev said that if the U.S. follows through with the move, it could “open Pandora’s box globally."

“Recognizing territory seized by military means — this would be the first such recognition since World War II — sets a dangerous precedent that could reignite wars in the future, which could potentially reach the scale of World War III,” he said.

“This is extremely dangerous and cruel."

Ukraine insists on ‘immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire,’ Zelensky says

Ukraine insists on an “immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 23 amid strained peace efforts and intensifying Russian attacks.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

China’s Foreign Ministry on April 23 accused Ukraine of making “groundless” accusations after the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned a Chinese ambassador to present evidence of Chinese involvement in Russia’s war.

A day earlier, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun was invited to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis.

Perebyinis presented the Chinese ambassador with evidence of Chinese citizens' participation in hostilities against Ukraine on Russia’s side and the involvement of Chinese companies in the production of military products in Russia.

The evidence was also passed on to the Chinese side by the Ukrainian security services.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry called Ukraine’s recent statements “groundless” and “political manipulations."

“We have clarified China’s position on the relevant issues. China strongly opposes groundless accusations and political manipulations,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said during a press briefing.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 17 that China is supplying weapons to Russia, marking Kyiv’s first confirmation that Beijing supports Russia’s war effort by direct military aid. Iran and North Korea are two other allies of Moscow that supply Russia with arms.

Though Beijing has long denied supplying arms, multiple reports have suggested otherwise. In summer 2024, Zelensky said China had assured Ukraine it would not deliver weapons to Russia.

While officially claiming neutrality, Beijing has deepened economic ties with Moscow, supported Russia against Western sanctions, and emerged as a top supplier of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense sector.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in Donetsk Oblast. Zelensky later said that “several hundred” Chinese nationals were fighting on Russia’s side.

China has denied any direct involvement in the war and claimed it has urged its citizens to avoid armed conflicts.

Trump’s reported ‘final’ peace plan includes accepting Russian occupation, few benefits for Ukraine

The U.S. reportedly presented its peace proposal last week during a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Paris.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Despite significantly ramping up weapons production last year, Russia’s armed forces are still missing key military equipment, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the state Military-Industrial Commission on April 23, Kremlin state media reported.

The Russian army received in 2024 over 4,000 armoured vehicles, 180 warplanes and helicopters, over 1.5 million drones of various types, Putin claimed, adding that approximately 4,00 FPV drones are sent to the battlefield daily.

“Last year, almost all defense companies fulfilled the tasks of the state defense order, qualitatively and on time, and some types of weapons were (produced) ahead of schedule,” Putin said.

Despite this, he said there are still gaps in Russian weapons manufacturing.

“I know very well that these means of defeat (drones) are still lacking. There are not enough,” he said.

“I am sure that all plans to increase the production of […] drones will certainly be fulfilled. They are very much awaited on the line of contact. In fact, this is currently one of the major factors in combat success,” he added.

Putin said Russia was pushing forward to gain technological advantages, claiming the Kremlin has modernized more than 400 companies in recent years.

“Global trends in the development of military technologies should be taken into account to forecast and understand potential armed conflicts, as the future is rapidly approaching,” he said.

He added that the Kremlin’s experience in the “special military operation” is being studied “without any exaggeration by all armies of the world, leaders of the global arms industry, and high-tech companies."

“And we need to be one step ahead, as we have been able to do recently and, I am sure, will be able to do in the future."

Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly relied on drone warfare, using aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for reconnaissance and combat missions.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine and Russia have been developing and deploying technological innovations and cutting-edge unmanned systems.

Russia is using drones not only on the frontline but also to target civilians on a daily basis.

Trump’s reported ‘final’ peace plan includes accepting Russian occupation, few benefits for Ukraine

The U.S. reportedly presented its peace proposal last week during a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Paris.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Ukraine insists on an “immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 23 amid strained peace efforts and intensifying Russian attacks.

“That was the proposal put forward by the United States on March 11 of this year — and it was absolutely reasonable,” Zelensky said, referring to a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Kyiv signed off on during talks with the U.S. in Jeddah.

“This is absolutely possible – but only if Russia agrees and stops the killing."

The comments come after a planned ministerial meeting between Ukraine, the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany was downgraded after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the event, casting doubt on the peace efforts.

Rubio’s move followed Zelensky ruling out the recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea as part of a potential deal. U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan reportedly includes the U.S. de jure recognizing Russian control over the peninsula.

The Ukrainian delegation in London, including Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, is now instead meeting European national security advisors, as well as U.S. officials.

“Today, we will discuss ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a comprehensive settlement and the achievement of a just and lasting peace,” Yermak said.

Zelensky underscored that while Ukraine calls for a ceasefire, Russia continues to launch deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities, inflicting heavy civilian casualties. Marhanets, Zaporizhzhia, Kupiansk, and Kherson were among those targeted by Russian forces in recent days.

The president also noted that hostilities decreased during the Easter holidays and repeated his calls for extending the truce for 30 days. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of violating its Easter ceasefire almost 3,000 times, though they acknowledged that the intensity of hostilities decreased in some aspects.

“Ukraine has repeatedly said that it does not rule out any format that can lead to a ceasefire and, ultimately, real peace,” Zelensky said.

“Stopping the killing is task number one. I am grateful to everyone who is focused on this goal and helps us move toward ending the war."

Vance expects territorial concessions from Russia, Ukraine in potential peace deal

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on April 23 that the U.S. presented a “very explicit proposal” to Russia and Ukraine on a peace deal, repeating warnings Washington might drop its peace effort if the belligerent sides refuse.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

The European Commission is exploring options to legally prohibit EU companies from signing new contracts for the supply of Russian gas, Reuters reported on April 22, citing an undisclosed senior EU official.

The EU is also considering ways to allow companies located in member states to terminate existing gas supply contracts with Russia without penalties, the official told Reuters.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe began to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels to stifle Russia’s revenue that finances its war chest.

The European bloc plans to completely phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027, and the European Commission is expected to provide a plan by May 6 – a deadline postponed from March amid uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

The ban on new contracts aims to reduce European companies' spot purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). Although Russian pipeline gas supplies have declined sharply since the all-out war, the EU increased its imports of Russian LNG last year.

The EU’s imports of Russian LNG in 2024 reached a record level, despite the bloc’s efforts to reduce its gas dependence after Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, according to the Financial Times.

Europe must act on Russian LNG before Trump makes it impossible

Europe’s window to ban Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) is closing faster than we think. As a second Trump administration takes shape, Europe’s opportunity to impose new, meaningful measures on Russian fossil fuels is rapidly diminishing. U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war allegedly includes

The Kyiv IndependentSvitlana Romanko

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

U.S., U.K., German, French, and Ukrainian officials began their meeting on April 23 to discuss a path toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war, Sky News reported.

The meeting was to be held at a ministerial level, but was downgraded after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his participation.

Rubio’s move followed President Volodymyr Zelensky ruling out the recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea as part of a potential deal. U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan reportedly includes the U.S. de jure recognizing Russian control over the peninsula.

The Ukrainian delegation, including Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, is now instead meeting European national security advisors, as well as U.S. officials.

The U.S. leadership was angered by Ukraine’s refusal to cede territory to Russia and by its insistence on a full ceasefire as the first step toward peace, leading to the disruption of the talks, an official source told the Washington Post.

“Despite everything, we continue working for peace,” Yermak said upon arrival in London.

“Today, we will discuss ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a comprehensive settlement and the achievement of a just and lasting peace."

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said that Kyiv is “ready to negotiate, but not surrender,” stressing the need for security guarantees and rejecting recognition of Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s territory.

Trump has said his country will abandon the peace efforts in the coming days unless progress is made. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Russia for a high-level meeting this week, even though he skipped the talks with European and Ukrainian officials.

Trump’s reported ‘final’ peace plan includes accepting Russian occupation, few benefits for Ukraine

The U.S. reportedly presented its peace proposal last week during a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Paris.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Ukraine will not accept a peace agreement that would give Russia a chance to regroup for further attacks, and sees a full ceasefire as “the necessary first step,” Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on April 23.

“As Ukraine’s delegation meets with partners in London today, we reaffirm a principled position: Ukraine is ready to negotiate — but not to surrender,” Svyrydenko said.

The comments come as Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Presidential Office chief Andriy Sybiha visit London to discuss a ceasefire plan with U.S. and European officials.

The meeting was meant to be held at a ministerial level and address a broader peace plan, but was downgraded after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and subsequently other top diplomats — canceled participation.

Rubio’s move followed President Volodymyr Zelensky ruling out the recognition of the Russian annexation of Crimea as part of the deal. U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan reportedly includes the U.S. de jure recognizing Russian control over the peninsula and de facto recognizing Russian occupation of parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

The plan, first presented to Ukraine during talks in Paris on April 17, is also said to include a ban on Kyiv’s accession to NATO and only vague assurances for the invaded country.

“Our people will not accept a frozen conflict disguised as peace. We will never recognize the occupation of Crimea,” Svyrydenko said.

“And if NATO membership is not granted, Ukraine will require binding security guarantees—ones strong enough to deter future aggression, and clear enough to ensure lasting peace."

Trump has said his country will abandon the peace efforts in the coming days unless progress is made. He has not offered any security guarantees to Ukraine, though the U.S. does not oppose a potential European peacekeeping mission to monitor a potential ceasefire.

Trump’s reported ‘final’ peace plan includes accepting Russian occupation, few benefits for Ukraine

The U.S. reportedly presented its peace proposal last week during a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Paris.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

A ministerial meeting of U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials was postponed due to a “lack of consensus on some issues, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 23 after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others decided to skip the event.

The U.K.’s capital was to host a meeting between the chief diplomats of the U.K., France, Ukraine, and Germany, as well as Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

The parties were expected to agree on a common position on a peace deal, which Witkoff would then present to Russia during his visit later this week. The meeting was downgraded after most participants decided to skip it amid disagreements on key points of the reported U.S. peace plan.

The final version of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which he wants Russia and Ukraine to sign off on, requires significant concessions from the latter.

According to the peace proposal, the U.S. would de jure recognize Russia’s control over occupied Crimea and de facto accept Russia’s partial occupation of Ukrainian territories in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Kyiv must also give up its aspirations to join NATO.

“As far as we know, the two sides still haven’t come closer on some issues,” Peskov said at a press conference. The spokesperson added that there are “many nuances around the negotiations” and in areas “where the positions need to be brought closer."

Russia continues to engage with the U.S. on a possible settlement of the war in Ukraine, but not with Kyiv and Europe, Peskov said. Witkoff is still expected to visit Russia despite the breakdown of the London summit.

In light of the controversy over the U.S. peace initiative, the meeting in London is being held at a lower level. A Ukrainian delegation has already arrived, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov meeting their U.K. counterparts, David Lammy and John Healey.

The U.S. delegation at the meeting will be led by Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. Germany will be represented by National Security Advisor Jens Plotner, and France by presidential advisor Emmanuel Bonne and senior diplomat Frederic Mondoloni.

Trump hopes to ‘end war’ this week. Here’s what you need to know

U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Russia and Ukraine could reach a war-ending deal “this week,” as his team threatens that Washington could ditch the peace talks efforts if no step is taken in the near future. “Both will then start to do big business with the United States

The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

Russian air defenses on April 23 opened fire against drones in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia’s Tatarstan, the site of a Shahed-type drone factory, independent news channel Astra reported.

Astra and other Telegram channels shared purported footage of a drone being shot down. Shot channel identified the drones as Aeroprakt A-22 and UJ-22 Airborne unmanned aircraft.

Russian air defenses shot down one Ukrainian airplane-type drone in Tatarstan at about 12:20 p.m. local time, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed, without providing further details or mentioning Alabuga.

The Ukrainian military has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.

Alabuga lies more than 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border. Ukrainian long-range drones struck the facility last April, aiming to disrupt Russian production of Shaheds and their Russian-made variants, Gerans, which are widely used in aerial attacks against Ukraine.

Over 6,000 Shahed-type drones were produced in Alabuga last year, as well as thousands of decoy drones used to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, said Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

“This year, Russia aims to produce 8,000-10,000 Shaheds/Gerans and 15,000 decoys in Alabuga,” Kovalenko said.

Throughout the full-scale war, Ukrainian long-range drones have targeted Russia’s industrial and military facilities deep in the rear to undermine its ability to wage its all-out war.

Chechen scholar: Russia’s cowardly violence in Ukraine is driven by desperation

For most people today, the word Chechnya immediately brings to mind Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader who governs the region as a loyal vassal of Vladimir Putin. It evokes images of a turbulent, fear-stricken state at the mercy of the Kremlin’s whims. Yet, Chechnya’s story is far more

The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan

Editor’s note: This is issue 22 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly “Ukraine Reforms Tracker” covering events from April 14–20, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs.

The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission.

Benchmarks and soft commitments with the IMF

Final stage nears in Ukraine’s search for Economic Security Bureau director

Ukraine’s selection commission is currently awaiting the results of background checks and is conducting integrity assessments of the 16 remaining candidates for the position of director of the Bureau of Economic Security.

Once the screenings are complete, the final stage of the competition — interviews — will follow. All 16 candidates have been approved to participate in the interviews, which will last up to 60 minutes each and be broadcast live on the Cabinet of Ministers’ website.

Following the interviews, the commission will nominate no more than two finalists, whose names will be submitted to the Prime Minister for appointment.

Obligations to the EU

Parliament approves three bills under Ukraine Facility commitments

Ukraine’s Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has passed three draft laws tied to country’s obligations under the EU-backed Ukraine Facility program:

• draft law #13107-d on vocational education reform was adopted in the first reading;
• draft law #5838, strengthening administrative accountability for misconduct by state regulatory officials, also passed in the first reading;
• draft law #12150, which aligns Ukraine’s electronic communications regulations with EU law, was approved in full.

Other key economic issues

Wife of Ukraine’s financial intelligence chief linked to firm tied to sanctioned oligarch

A new investigation by Bihus.Info has revealed that Natalia Pronina, wife of the head of Ukraine’s State Financial Monitoring Service, Filip Pronin, became a co-owner of Tesoro Management, a company previously linked to sanctioned oligarch Dmytro Firtash.

In 2024, Pronina was listed as a co-owner alongside Anna Sologub, who continues to serve as the firm’s director. Sologub had previously served on the audit commission of Rivneazot, a company affiliated with Firtash. According to corporate filings, she is currently a member of Rivneazot’s audit committee.

Tesoro Management, officially registered as a consulting firm with an office in central Kyiv and a functioning website, shows no signs of financial activity, according to Bihus.Info. Sologub herself confirmed to journalists that the company is not actively operating.

Filip Pronin is reported to have close ties to Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President.

Ukrainian parliament extends martial law and general mobilization until Aug. 6

On April 18, the Verkhovna Rada voted for the 15th time to extend martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days, until Aug. 6 under draft laws #13172 and #13173, respectively. The president has already signed both bills.

This Ukrainian mining company is losing hope in Trump’s minerals deal

Standing beside a sleepy village in Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad Oblast, the Zavalivskiy mine lies beneath layers of brown and pink earth, holding some 7.5 million metric tons of graphite ore — the second largest flake graphite mine in Europe. Like many mining companies in Ukraine, Zavalivskiy Graphite has lost

The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell

The following is the April 22, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here.

As a U.S.-proposed deal for Ukraine’s natural resources stalled amid months of tense negotiations, some in Ukraine who were initially optimistic about the agreement are starting to lose hope.

At least that’s how one graphite mine in Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad Oblast feels about it, business reporter Dominic Culverwell reports in his latest.

The Zavalivskiy mine, located in the village of Zavallia, holds some 7.5 million metric tons of graphite ore in the second largest flake graphite mine in Europe.

But the war has taken a big toll on the mine. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the company has lost nearly a third of its workforce. Production has plummeted from 15,000 metric tons annually to 850 metric tons last year and it’s lost around half of its customers around the world.

Which is why, when the minerals deal came about, the company’s CEO was pretty excited.

“I think that it would be really positive if the U.S. came to the Ukrainian mining market. They should spend money and time to build something, to mine something,” CEO Ostap Kostyuk told the Kyiv Independent in February, emphasizing the critical need for investments in the underfunded sector.

In Zavalivskiy Graphite’s case, innovation brought in through investors could involve high-tech equipment to purify graphite to a level suitable for use in batteries, called spherical graphite (SPG), which sells for $3,500- $10,000 per metric ton.

Machinery for SPG purification costs $30-40 million, which the currently unprofitable company can’t afford. Kostyuk was optimistic the Americans could bring in this technology and cooperate with Zavalivskiy to produce the highly purified graphite and break into a market dominated by China.

But as events unfolded, drafts of the deal were leaked to the public, and it became apparent the U.S. was proposing to gain unprecedented control over Ukraine’s sovereign natural resources as “repayment” for its military aid to Ukraine, Kostyuk lost the faith.

Even if the deal is signed this week, which is supposed to happen, the fears that it could be a win-lose for Ukraine have already settled in.

The minerals deal saga has left Kostyuk feeling that Ukraine is on the verge of being “scammed” and will end up on its own, indebted to its allies, Culverwell writes.

“We should recover ourselves. If this help is a debt, my kids and grandkids will pay this debt. So what can we do? We can’t do anything,” Kostyuk said in April.

Read the full story here.

Central Bank halts hikes

Following a series of rate hikes since the beginning of the year, Ukraine’s Central Bank held the interest rate at 15.5% as it expects inflation to begin cooling.

The bank also said, however, that “due to the high level of uncertainty, which has only increased over past months, the National Bank of Ukraine will respond flexibly to changes in the balance of risks to the price dynamics and inflation expectations.”

Price growth is expected to start slowing this summer after it hit its highest level since May 2023 in March, reaching 14.6%. The bank expects inflation to drop to 8.7% at the end of 2025 and reach a target of 5% in 2026.

Ukraine vs. Russia

Ukraine’s economic resilience may outlast Russia’s oil-funded war machine, says a new report by the London School of Economics' foreign policy think tank LSE IDEAS.

The report looks closely at how both Russia and Ukraine have adapted their economies to the demands of war. Despite the difficulties brought on by a full-scale invasion, the report finds that Ukraine — buoyed by external financing secured through 2027 and improved tax mobilization — is in a surprisingly strong negotiating position.

In contrast, Russia’s continued dependence on oil revenues makes it highly vulnerable to price volatility in global oil markets. The country is also facing a looming credit crunch and a potential systemic banking crisis, the report says.

While neither side is set up for “total victory,” Russia’s internal vulnerabilities may change its negotiating calculus in the year ahead, says Dr. Luke Cooper, author of the report and associate professorial research fellow in international relations.

“Even in the face of the (President Donald) Trump administration’s apparent pivot towards the Russian side, Ukraine and its European allies hold more ‘cards’ than many, including President Trump, seem to believe,” says Cooper.

Read the full report here.

What I’m watching

The spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are happening this week in Washington, D.C., with President Donald Trump’s tariff spree expected to dominate talks.

But as Trump and his team take an axe to institutions — and the world order as we know it — people attending the talks are wondering what implications the Trump administration’s inward turn away from its global alliances will mean for institutions like the IMF and World Bank.

According to Jimena Zuniga of Bloomberg Economics, a weakened IMF and World Bank would put at risk the emerging markets around the world that rely on the IMF to respond to fiscal challenges such as high debt or shrinking reserves — a list of markets which includes Ukraine.

The IMF came to Ukraine’s aid at the start of the full-scale invasion, lending to a country at war for the first time in its nearly 80-year history. In March 2023, the IMF and Ukraine agreed on a loan program to provide Kyiv with $15.6 billion in financing for budget support over four years.

Stay tuned for more.

What else is in the news

Ukraine allocating one-third of defense budget for high-tech weapons production

The high-tech weaponry includes drones, electronic warfare systems, and missile technologies, Hlib Kanievskyi, a procurement chief at the Defense Ministry, said on April 21. Kanievskyi also said that the unification of technical standards for drones is among the key objectives for 2025 as the ministry looks to streamline procurement procedures, create a single framework for evaluating products, and accelerate decision-making.

Ukrainian airline resumes first regular flights since 2022, flying from Moldova to EU

Ukrainian airline SkyUp Airlines has made its first regular flight since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, flying on the Chisinau-Paris route on April 18, the AIN news outlet reported, citing the company’s press service. Another flight is scheduled for Lisbon, and the company will also operate routes to 11 cities in seven countries, including France, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Czechia, and Sweden.

French court enforces $5 billion Crimea damages award against Russia in Naftogaz case

A French court has approved the enforcement of a $5 billion arbitration award against Russia for damages caused to Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz during the occupation of Crimea, the company said on April 17. The decision allows Naftogaz to begin legal recovery efforts in France, including seizing Russian state assets to satisfy the award.

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The Trump administration fired a coordinator responsible for collecting data on war crimes committed by Russia during its full-scale war against Ukraine, the Washington Post (WP) reported on April 22, citing its undisclosed sources.

The news comes as the U.S. is trying to get Russia and Ukraine to sign a deal to end the all-out war while steadily scaling down its support of Kyiv.

The White House also disbanded the Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team, headed by a coordinator, and dismantled a program to seize assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs, the WP reported.

The Russian war crimes coordinator position was created in accordance with a law co-authored by then-Congressman Mike Waltz, the current national security advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Democratic Congressman Jason Crow, another co-author, told the Washington Post that if Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard “want to achieve lasting peace, they must be willing to hold (Russian President Vladimir) Putin accountable for the crimes he’s committed in Ukraine."

In mid-March, Washington exited from the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA).

The ICPA, which the U.S. joined in 2023, was established to collect evidence for the special tribunal for Russia that aims to bring the Russian government to justice for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, as well as to strip Putin and his associates of their immunity.

Trump hopes to ‘end war’ this week. Here’s what you need to know

U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Russia and Ukraine could reach a war-ending deal “this week,” as his team threatens that Washington could ditch the peace talks efforts if no step is taken in the near future. “Both will then start to do big business with the United States

The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

Oleksandr Markushyn, the mayor of Irpin, has been involved in smuggling cars under the guise of providing aid to Ukraine’s defense forces, according to NGL Media’s investigation published on April 21.

Markushyn created and led a volunteer territorial community formation (DFTG) in late March 2022, in the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Over the next few months, he personally applied for the duty-free import of vehicles to be used by the unit, NGL Media reported.

According to the customs, Infiniti QX30, Infiniti QX50, Nissan Navara, Volkswagen Touran, and Volkswagen Transporter were imported into Ukraine as humanitarian aid at Markushin’s request.

None of the vehicles were actually delivered to the Ukrainian defense forces, the investigation said.

Five cars imported to Ukraine duty-free were not registered in Ukraine’s Interior Ministry’s database either. Investigative journalists suggested that the cars were dismantled for parts and later sold, adding that there could be more such vehicles.

The Kyiv Independent has contacted Markushyn but has not received a response at the time of publication.

If his involvement in the scheme is proven, Markushyn may face imprisonment for five to seven years and a fine of over Hr 435,000 ($10,400).

Markushyn was elected mayor of Irpin in October 2020 for the New Faces political party.

In January, Kyiv’s Pecherskyi Court briefly placed Markushyn in custody and suspended him from office amid suspicions that he falsified his grounds for a stay in Italy in August 2022, already during the full-scale war.

Men aged 18-60 are not permitted to leave the country under martial law, barring special circumstances.

Markushyn is suspected of having visited his 2-year-old son in Italy even though he claimed to travel abroad to secure aid. The mayor considers the court case to be “politicized and ordered by his opponents."

This Ukrainian mining company is losing hope in Trump’s minerals deal

Standing beside a sleepy village in Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad Oblast, the Zavalivskiy mine lies beneath layers of brown and pink earth, holding some 7.5 million metric tons of graphite ore — the second largest flake graphite mine in Europe. Like many mining companies in Ukraine, Zavalivskiy Graphite has lost

The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell