Rubio and Witkoff Hold Talks with European Allies in Paris to Address Ukraine Conflict

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently in Paris on Thursday, accompanied by President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, engaging in discussions regarding the situation in Ukraine.

Furthermore, Andrii Yermak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov have all convened in Paris for the talks.

Yermak emphasized that there would be “a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with representatives of the states of the coalition of the willing that are capable of ensuring security.”

The United States is working towards facilitating a ceasefire and a lasting peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, but has faced obstacles in its efforts.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is also participating in the Ukraine talks, alongside two senior representatives from the German government.

Rubio and Witkoff are also scheduled to meet separately with France’s President Emmanuel Macron and will engage in discussions with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

The duo has been spearheading the Trump administration’s endeavors to secure a peace deal in Ukraine and put an end to the conflict, which has persisted for over three years.

Last month, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to a 30-day pause on strikes targeting energy facilities, but both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement on a daily basis.

Russia has insisted that any ceasefire should be contingent on Ukraine halting its receipt of additional arms supplies from NATO allies, a condition that Kyiv has rejected.

The talks come as both Russia and Ukraine have reported being hit by drone strikes overnight, following a contentious strike by Russia on Palm Sunday.

On Sunday, Trump expressed, “I’m just trying to get it stopped so that we can save a lot of lives.”

Zelenskyy Calls For ‘Reliable Peace’

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry on Thursday, their air defense systems successfully intercepted and downed 71 Ukrainian drones across six Russian regions overnight.

They reported that 49 drones were eliminated in the Kursk oblast, while the rest targeted the oblasts of Bryansk, Ryazan, Oryol, Vladimir, and Tula.

In a Telegram statement, authorities in Ivanovo oblast revealed that Ukrainian drones had attacked the town of Shuya without causing any casualties.

None of the claims made by Ukraine or Russia can be independently verified.

The European nations are seeking security assurances from the United States for a peacekeeping operation in Ukraine, a request that Trump has been hesitant to fulfill.

The Trump administration is also engaged in negotiations with Zelenskyy for a deal in which the US would partake in the profits from Kyiv’s rare mineral mining activities.

Putin initiated the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in an attempt to oust the Zelenskyy government and thwart Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, a move perceived as antagonistic by Moscow.

In December 2021, Moscow had issued a set of demands to Washington and its NATO allies, stipulating that Ukraine should never be allowed to join the alliance to avert a conflict.

In addition to the Ukraine negotiations, Witkoff is also involved in facilitating a deal with Tehran to curb its pursuit of nuclear weapons, a program that Iran has consistently denied.

Following the talks in Paris, Witkoff will proceed to Rome for further discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday regarding Iran’s nuclear program, after a previous meeting in Oman.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.