US Vice President JD Vance said his country would "walk away" if Ukraine and Russia do not agree to a deal, echoing recent comments from US officials.
According to foreign media, his warning came after talks in London between officials from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ukraine and the United States aimed at securing a ceasefire collapsed after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff withdrew.
The US is focused on talks this week in Moscow, where Witkoff will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the fourth time, as the pace of diplomacy to end the war accelerates.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said he insisted on "an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire."
"Stopping the killing is task number one," Zelensky said on social media on Wednesday, A2 CNN reports.
His remarks come after Vance told reporters during a visit to India that the US had issued a "very clear proposal" to both the Russians and Ukrainians.
"It's time for them to either say yes or for the US to walk away from this process," he added. "We have engaged in an extraordinary level of diplomacy, of work on the ground," he added.
Trump's envoy for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, is attending the talks in London in place of Witkoff and Rubio, who referred to Wednesday's talks as "technical meetings."
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy is also hosting a bilateral meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart on Wednesday.
There is growing speculation that Russia may be willing to halt its invasion along the current front lines in exchange for significant concessions.
However, there is little clarity on where the latest talks are going or whether they will succeed, writes A2 CNN.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out the possibility of recognizing occupied Crimea as Russian territory, after reports indicated that this was being considered by the US and the Kremlin.
Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine on Wednesday, after a brief lull over Easter when it halted airstrikes.
Nine people were killed and dozens more injured in the eastern Ukrainian town of Marhanets when a Russian drone hit a bus carrying workers.
Officials in the southern Kherson region said a key facility supplying electricity had been destroyed after coming under repeated Russian attack.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday that talks between foreign ministers had been postponed. “The talks at official level will continue, but these are closed to the media,” the statement said.
(A2 Televizion)
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