Ominous sign: US axes Ukraine peace talks

The US has threatened again to “walk away” from peace in Ukraine and has abandoned key talks after Kyiv objected to a new proposal.

In a worrying sign for a negotiated peace in Ukraine, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has cancelled plans to meet Ukrainian and European officials in London after Kyiv objected to a new plan to end the conflict which would give Russia major concessions.
US Vice President JD Vance has said Washington is ready to “walk away” unless Kyiv signs up to the plan.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has insisted his administration has no intention of playing “hard ball” with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in order to make a deal in the two nations’ ongoing trade war.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the President also backtracked on the “very high” 145 per cent additional tariffs he’d slapped on Beijing’s exports, saying they’ll “come down substantially”.

If you thought those tariffs were steep – the US Government has suggested a tariff on 3521 per cent should be applied to some products from a Southeast Asian nation.

Originally published as Ominous sign: US axes Ukraine peace talks