France reported on Thursday that discussions between senior US and European officials regarding the Ukraine war had “englished a positive approach,” as Europe seeks to be a part of efforts to put an end to the three-year conflict.
During the conversations in Paris, US secretary of state Marco Rubio once more pressed a US peace plan.
Rubio, Rubio, US ambassador to the United States, David Lammy, American foreign secretary, German officers, and officials from Ukraine were present at the meetings.
They occurred as US President Donald Trump’s effort to put an end to the battle sprang up, with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, rejecting a total ceasefire.
The French president stated that” now in Paris, we started a good method in which the Europeans are involved.”
Next year in London will be held a new meeting of envoys from the United States, France, Britain, Germany, and Ukraine, it added.
Rubio then called Sergei Lavrov, the foreign secretary of Russia, to talk about the Paris meet.
According to the US State Department, Rubio told his Russian counterpart,” President Trump and the United States want this war to end, and we have now presented to all events the details of a robust and lasting serenity.”
The positive response Paris received to the US model demonstrates that peace can be reached if all events commit to reaching an agreement, he continued.
Lavrov “reaffirmed Moscow’s willingness to continue working with British counterparts to fully address the root causes of the Ukrainian problems,” according to the Russian foreign ministry in a statement.
In light of the London meet next year, Lavrov and Rubio both agreed on the necessity of maintaining “prompt communication channels,” according to the statement.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine and Trump, praised the discussions and said it was crucial to work toward “real protection” in Europe.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, thanked Macron on Friday for his “efforts in the pursuit of a simply and lasting peace for Ukraine.”
However, Dmitry Peskov, a spokeswoman for the Kremlin, refrained from attending the Paris conference, citing earlier claims that Europeans appeared to be focusing on “prolonging the battle.”
After Trump shocked them by launching discussions with Russia, France and Britain have sought a planned Western answer to defending Ukraine during the issue and in any peace.
Macron claimed that everyone wanted” a strong and sustainable peace” and that the Paris deals were” a very important event for convergence.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot claimed that the discussions had reached a milestone because German, American, and Ukrainian officials had “gathered around the same board” when Europe had formerly feared it would be excluded from decision-making.
He continued on LCI broadcast saying that the United States “has understood that a just and lasting harmony can only be achieved with the acceptance and factor of Europeans.”
Russia’s strikes, which have lately resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, including children, in Russian cities, have put pressure on to repress diplomatic efforts to put an end to the issue.
Local and regional government in Kharkiv and Sumy reported Friday that two people were killed and dozens of others were hurt by Russian bombings immediately on Thursday, according to local and regional authorities.
After the US minister suggested a peace deal with Russia depended on the position of Ukraine’s held lands, Zelensky previously accused Witkoff of” spreading Russian stories.”
Zelensky told writers,” I think Mr. Witkoff has adopted the strategy of the Soviet side.”
He is “very risky,” he said, “because he is deliberately or unintentionally spreading Soviet narratives, I don’t know.”
After their second meeting since Trump’s January return to the White House, Witkoff claimed this week that Putin was opened to “permanent serenity.”
After Kyiv gave its support to the concept, Putin rejected the US’s plan for a total and absolute ceasefire last month.
He also suggested that Zelensky get let go of the company, which sparked a furious reaction from Trump, who declared he was “very upset” with the Soviet leader.
Sebastien Lecornu, France’s defense minister, and Pete Hegseth, the US defense minister, met in Washington on Thursday and demanded that France increase military spending, according to a Pentagon official.
The minister urged France to improve its defense budget and assume primary obligation for Europe’s standard defense, according to the spokesman.
