Macron, who personally received the American special envoy Steve Witkoff and the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasized the importance of consensus.
In the talks, the Ukrainian delegation, consisting of Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umjerov, and Zelensky's chief of staff Andrij Jermak, participated, writes Jermak on social media. According to Jermak, they will also meet with representatives from Germany and the United Kingdom.
Applying Pressure?
Zelensky, who is not in France, underscored the importance of applying pressure on Russia in a social media post before the meeting.
"Russia is exploiting every day and every night to kill. We must apply pressure on the murderers... to end the war and ensure a long-lasting peace", writes the Ukrainian President on Telegram.
The American delegation, which also includes Ukraine's envoy Keith Kellogg, will also meet with the British Foreign Minister David Lammy. The countries have been leading the initiative to establish a security force in Ukraine that can be deployed in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
Seeing a Settlement?
During the election campaign, US President Donald Trump repeatedly stated that he could easily put an end to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The process has, however, proven to be complex. After Trump's inauguration in January, high-level talks have been held, including one with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, which ended in a bitter exchange of words.
The Trump administration has also been accused of being too accommodating towards Russia, which launched the full-scale war over three years ago. Last week, Witkoff met with President Vladimir Putin and said afterwards that he saw a peace settlement emerging.
