“Excellent” talks in Paris between the best American officials, Ukraine and the three most important permissions of Europe show that Europeans returned at the table to negotiate in the future of Ukraine, said French officials on Thursday.
French President Emmanuel Macron was the host of the Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the envoy of President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff about conversations at the Elysee Palace, because European and Ukrainian officials tried to return the kijowka case for war in Ukraine.
At a high level, diplomacy reflects the growing concern of Europe about the US administration overtures against Moscow, after Trump's efforts to ensure the suspension of weapons in a three -year war.
Trump, who has long said that he strives to quickly end the war of Ukraine, pointed out that he is frustrated with both Moscow and Kiev, even when American rhetoric moved towards the Russian description of the conflict.
Macron is fighting to prevent double -sided conversations between the United States and Russia for permanently on the side of Europeans over the future of Ukraine. French officials said that the Thursday meeting showed that Europe has returned to the negotiating table.
“New is that the United States, Ukraine and Europeans met in the same table,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told journalists.
Macron's senior advisor, speaking, as anonymous, like the French government, said that the conversations were “perfect, positive and constructive” and showed “true convergence” to end Trump's war.
“Everyone wants to get a room. A solid and balanced room. The question is about phasing,” Macron said during the meeting of Rubio delegations in Elysee.
He did not go much to the essence of conversations in Paris. But the older French official said that the best negotiators of the countries will meet again in the same format in London next week.
A special envoy of Trump in Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, who was also in Paris, published a photo on X with the leaders of the Ukrainian delegation. The post stated: “Very productive meetings at the Elysee Palace regarding efforts to end the war in Ukraine-Russia.”
Ukraine agreed to Trump's proposal last month to suspend the weapons, which Russia rejected. The parties only agreed to limit attacks on energy purposes and at sea, which both accuse of violation.
KIV and his European allies hope to convince Washington to accept a more difficult line with Moscow. They have pressed the matter since the Russian attack, which killed at least 35 people, including Ukrainian Christian worshipers in the city of sums on Sunday.
According to American officials, the attack could increase the urgency of peace.
Macron talked on Thursday with the President of the Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday before talking to Rubio and Witkoff, said Macron's office.
Later he greeted Witkoff, and then Rubio, with hands hugs against a common lunch.
Safety guarantees
Earlier, Macron's foreign policy advisor Emmanuel Bonne and his British and German counterparts met Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff of Zelenskyy, who said they discussed weapons and security guarantees.
“We exchanged views on the next steps towards achieving a fair and lasting peace, including the implementation of a full suspension of weapons, the involvement of the International Military Contingent and the development of effective security architecture for Ukraine,” said Yermak about X.
Zelenskyy said at a press conference in Ukraine that Russia reduced the number of its strikes to Ukrainian energy facilities, but attacked civil infrastructure.
He said that the violations of the suspension of energy weapons by the Russian would be discussed in Paris, but Ukraine will not be ready to discuss territorial problems until the arms suspension is introduced.
He also repeated the allegations that Witkoff “spreads Russian narratives” about the war.
Russian missiles hit the heart of the Ukrainian city of sums when people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, killing at least 34 people, officials gave. US President Donald Trump called the attack “terrible” and said that he was told that they “made a mistake.”
According to the French program, Yermak was to take part in the meeting with Rubio, Witkoff and Europeans later on Thursday.
The Kremlin described meetings in Paris as an opportunity for Witkoff, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin for five hours last week to update Europeans about talks about the search for a peace settlement.
Separately in Washington, US Secretary of Defense Pete HegeSth discussed efforts to “lasting peace” in Ukraine with his French equivalent Sebastien Lecorn, said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
HegeSeth, which proclaims loudly about Europe, which plays a greater role in defense of the continent, called France to increase defense expenses and, along with other NATO allies, took the main responsibility for the conventional defense of Europe.
In the post on X HegeSeth, he called this a “perfect” meeting, saying: “We discussed the imperative need for Europeans to meet a five -percent commitment to defense expenditure in restoring scares with ready, deadly conventional forces.”
Lecornu called “productive” discussions and said that they contain updates in European works conducted by France and Great Britain in order to build a guarantee of Ukraine's security after reaching a ceasefire.
Conversations about the achievement of a nuclear agreement with Iran
US and French officials said that they would also talk in Paris about Washington's efforts to achieve a nuclear agreement with Iran.
Witkoff has on Saturday in Rome on the second round of discussion with the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi about the Iran nuclear program. They met for 45 minutes last Saturday in Oman.
Both sides called conversations from last weekend positively, admitting that every potential contract remains distant.
Trump, who abandoned an earlier nuclear agreement with Iran during the first term in 2018, said on Monday that he was ready to bomb Iran's nuclear objects if a new contract is not reached.
Washington did not tell European countries about nuclear talks in Oman before Trump announced them.