Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, top US diplomat Marco Rubio are meeting EU officials in Paris on Thursday to discuss how to end Ukraine war
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister and Defence Minister are also in the French capital to participate in the discussions. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will join the meeting, which marks the most significant transatlantic engagement on the conflict since February.
European diplomats say they are seeking stronger US pressure on Russia to agree to an unconditional ceasefire. “We want the US to use a bit more stick,” one senior official remarked, stressing the urgency of halting hostilities.
The push for renewed peace efforts comes in the wake of escalating Russian attacks. A missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Sumy earlier this week killed at least 35 people and injured 117.
This follows a deadly strike on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih earlier in April that left 18 dead. Overnight on Wednesday, a drone attack in Dnipro claimed three more lives, including a young girl.
In Paris, Witkoff and Rubio will hold separate talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and his advisers before the US Secretary of State meets with Lammy and his French and German counterparts. National security advisers from across Europe are expected to participate in the broader discussions.
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The US State Department confirmed the talks will focus on practical steps to end the war. Witkoff is expected to brief European leaders on his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said they are “working on important issues for the security of Ukraine and the whole of Europe.”
Trump, who had pledged in May 2023 to end the war within 24 hours if re-elected, has prioritized improving US-Russia relations while attempting to broker peace between the two nations.
However, tensions remain between Trump and Zelensky, stemming from a heated exchange at the White House in February over Ukraine’s reluctance to initiate peace talks.
Zelensky has maintained that Ukraine will not accept any agreement in which it is not actively involved.
BBC News
