Zelenskyy pushes back on ceding Ukrainian land in potential peace deal ahead of London talks

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday pushed back at the idea of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia as part of any potential peace agreement, a day before American, European and Ukrainian officials are set for high-level talks in London.

During similar talks last week in Paris, U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the issue is expected to be on the agenda for discussion again this week as all parties focus on finding consensus on a credible approach for ending the war that the United States can convey to the Russians.

But amid media reports about the U.S. proposal, Zelenskyy said the idea of ceding territory — including Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, seized by Russia more than a decade ago — is a nonstarter.

“There is nothing to talk about — it is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said.

Some European allies are at least somewhat wary of the American proposal. But there's also acknowledgment by some allies that Russia is firmly entrenched wholly or partially in five regions of Ukraine — Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

If the goal is to obtain a ceasefire immediately, “it should be based on the line of contact as it is,” said a senior French official. The official was not authorized to be publicly named and spoke on the condition of anonymity according to French presidential policy.

Still, Ukraine’s territorial integrity and aspirations to strengthen ties with the rest of the continent are a top priority for the Europeans, the European official said.

It remains to be seen whether the latest diplomatic efforts can lead to an endgame after more than three years of war since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

The fighting continued Tuesday as Russian drones battered the port city of Odesa and glide bombs hit Zaporizhzhia, local authorities said, as the Kremlin again warned that negotiators are unlikely to obtain a swift breakthrough in peace talks.

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will represent Washington in the discussions in London, the U.S. State Department said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio won't attend because of a scheduling issue, spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff were part of the U.S. delegation in Paris last week.

“They want diplomacy to work,” Bruce said of Trump and Rubio.

Trump said last week that negotiations were “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the war. That came after Rubio suggested that the U.S. might soon back away from negotiations if they don’t progress.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned that “the settlement issue is so complex that it would be wrong to put some tight limits to it and try to set some short time frame for a settlement, a viable settlement — it would be a thankless task."

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s delegation heading to the U.K. has a mandate to discuss only an unconditional or partial ceasefire with Russia.

“We are also ready to commit that after a ceasefire, we’re prepared to sit down for talks in any format,” he told reporters.

Zelenskyy added that Ukraine would only believe Russia is serious about peace once it shows results.

Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Witkoff was expected to visit Moscow again this week. Ushakov provided no further details.

Western analysts say Moscow is in no rush to conclude peace talks, because it has battlefield momentum and wants to capture more Ukrainian land.

Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting by imposing far-reaching conditions.

Odesa came under a “massive attack” by Russian drones overnight, wounding at least three people, the head of the regional administration, Oleh Kiper, wrote on his Telegram page.

A residential building in a densely populated urban area, civilian infrastructure and an educational facility were hit, he said.

Later Tuesday, Russia hit the southern city of Zaporizhzhia with two aerial glide bombs — a retrofitted Soviet weapon that for months has been used to lay waste to eastern Ukraine.

The attack killed a 69-year-old woman and wounded 24 people, including four children, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov.

Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that his earlier offer of a ceasefire covering civilian sites still stands.

“Russia needs to be seriously prepared to talk about this,” Zelenskyy said. "There are no obstacles on the Ukrainian side, and there will be none.”

Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said there are no plans for talks on the proposal. He said Moscow is prepared to consider such a step, but noted that reaching an agreement could take time.

“While talking about civilian infrastructure, it’s necessary to clearly define when such facilities can be a military target and when they can’t,” he said. “If a military meeting is held there, is it a civilian facility? It is. But is it a military target? Yes, it is. There are some nuances here that need to be discussed.”

The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired 54 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, marking a resumption of long-range attacks that have blasted civilian areas and sown terror.

Russia has stepped up its use of Shahed drones, expanding its production of the weapon and refining its tactics, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a recent analysis.

After Putin declared a unilateral ceasefire on Saturday, Ukraine said it was ready to reciprocate but said Russian attacks continued. Zelenskyy asserted that Russia violated the ceasefire more than 2,900 times.

The Associated Press was unable to verify whether a ceasefire was in place along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.

Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine are preparing for the spring-summer military campaign, Ukrainian and Western officials say.

Madhani reported from Washington. AP writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - People try to give first aid to an injured civilian at a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)

A car burns near a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)

A residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)

A woman walks in front of a multi-storey building damaged by a Russian strike on a residential neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

Paramedics carry an injured woman to an ambulance near a multi-storey building damaged by a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

A police officer calms an injured dog near a multi-storey building damaged by a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

A police officer comforts an injured woman near a multi-storey building damaged by a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

A multi-storey building is seen damaged by a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

Police officers evacuate a woman from a multi-storey building damaged by a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

Rescue workers inspect a multi-storey building damaged by a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

A man checks the dead body of his neighbor near a multi-story building damaged by a Russian strike on residential neighborhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

Police officers calm an injured dog while a dead body lies near a multi-story building damaged by a Russian strike on a residential neighborhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

In this photo provided by Ukraine's 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, Ukrainian servicemen attend an Easter service on their position in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Mykola Oliinyk/Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP)

SAO PAULO (AP) — The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is calling for a permanent monitoring system to track Brazil’s compliance with its recommendation s following the devastating floods that struck southern Brazil one year ago.

Javier Palummo, the commission’s special rapporteur, told The Associated Press Thursday the initiative aims to maintain a permanent channel with Brazil's government and "strengthen public accountability, give international visibility to good practices, and monitor risks of setbacks—especially in the most affected areas and for vulnerable groups.”

Between April and May 2024, unprecedented floods hit nearly all the municipalities in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Over 2.3 million people were affected. Hundreds of thousands were displaced and 182 died, according to official data. Analysts compared the scale of devastation to Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in 2005.

A new report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released Wednesday highlights stark inequalities in the recovery process. Indigenous and quilombola communities —which are home to descendants of escaped slaves—, female-headed households, and unhoused people have faced significant challenges in accessing reconstruction aid and public services.

“These groups often reported being excluded from recovery planning,” Palummo said. “The lack of land regularization and limited institutional engagement reinforce historic inequalities.”

Palummo visited flood-hit areas in December. He cited the solidarity of a quilombola community where women led relief efforts as especially moving. He also pointed to the Mbyá-Guarani people of Eldorado do Sul, who lost their homes and school first to flooding, then to a construction project. Forced to resettle near a highway, they now face insecurity, health risks, and cultural loss.

“These disasters are not just natural—they’re worsened by chronic neglect,” he said. “They reflect deep structural inequalities and growing climate vulnerability fueled by unplanned urban growth, environmental degradation, and environmental racism.”

The report, he said, is the first of its kind by the commission affiliated with Organization of American States. Palummo will present the findings next week to local communities in Porto Alegre and to federal and state officials. He will also speak at a public hearing May 8 in Brasília.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

FILE - A woman is rescued from an area flooded by heavy rains in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo, File)