French President Emmanuel Macron has hosted senior United States officials in Paris for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv’s allies in Europe seek to play a larger role in stalled efforts to end the conflict amid tensions with Washington.
Speaking after he hosted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday, Macron said the talks represented “a very important occasion for convergence”.
“Everyone wants to get peace – a robust and sustainable peace. The question is about phasing,” the French leader said.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has been pushing to end the Russia-Ukraine war, with Trump himself holding bilateral discussions with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
But so far, Trump’s efforts have not borne fruit, and the US president has expressed frustration with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Ukraine agreed to a Trump proposal last month for a ceasefire, but Russia rejected the idea. The sides have agreed only to curbs on attacks against energy targets and at sea, which both accuse each other of violating.
Meanwhile, the US’s overtures towards Russia over the past several weeks have raised concern among some European leaders, who urged Trump to ensure that Ukraine has a seat at the negotiating table in any negotiations.
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