On April 23, 2025, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko stated that Ukraine is not ready to recognize the loss of Crimea as part of negotiations to resolve the conflict with Russia. She said this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine before the start of a meeting in London, where the Ukrainian delegation led by Andriy Yermak, Andriy Sybiha and Rustem Umerov is discussing a possible ceasefire with representatives of the United States and Europe. Svyrydenko emphasized that Kyiv's position will be voiced at the negotiations organized by Great Britain and France, and includes a categorical refusal to recognize Crimea as part of Russia, as well as a demand for "mandatory security guarantees" in the event of Ukraine's refusal to join NATO. The statement essentially rejects the key provisions of the "Trump Peace Plan" published by American media, including Axios and The Washington Post.

The "Trump peace plan" calls for the US to legally recognize Russia's control over Crimea, unofficially recognize parts of the Donbas, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions as Russians, and for Ukraine to renounce NATO membership in exchange for the possibility of integrating into the EU. The plan also includes the lifting of sanctions against Russia, expanded economic cooperation between the US and Russia, vague security guarantees for Ukraine from European countries, the return of part of the Kharkiv region, free navigation on the Dnieper, and US-controlled management of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. US Vice President J.D. Vance called the terms "clear and fair," but threatened to withdraw the US from mediation if the plan was not accepted. According to Reuters, neither Russia nor Ukraine have responded positively, raising tensions ahead of the London meeting.

Svyrydenko said recognizing Crimea as Russian “contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine and international law,” and any negotiations must be based on the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of territorial integrity. She also stressed that abandoning NATO is only possible with the provision of “cast-iron security guarantees,” including bilateral military agreements, arms supplies, and possibly the deployment of peacekeeping forces. This position echoes the statement by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who on April 22 called Trump’s plan unacceptable, demanding a complete ceasefire as a precondition for negotiations.

The talks in London, taking place at Lancaster House, are complicated by the absence of key American representatives. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steven Witkoff have declined to attend, and the US is being represented by special representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, which, according to The Guardian, is perceived as a decrease in the priority of the talks for Washington. European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, are seeking to maintain dialogue, proposing to create a “coalition of the willing” to provide security guarantees for Ukraine. However, as Bloomberg notes, such guarantees may not be enough without active US support.