U.S., European officials meet in Paris over Ukraine amid rifts in approach

PARIS – A U.S. delegation headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Paris on Thursday to hold meetings on the conflict in Ukraine in an attempt to bridge a growing transatlantic rift on how to end the war.

The diplomatic flurry, announced just one day earlier, gathered European, American and Ukrainian officials at a time when the Trump administration’s bid for rapprochement with Russia has put European leaders on edge, spurring efforts to mediate between the White House and Kyiv. The Paris meetings also coincide with renewed tension between Washington and Europe over a variety of other issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program and the impact on Europe of U.S. trade policy.

The secretary of state was traveling as part of a small delegation, which included retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy on the war in Ukraine. Steve Witkoff, another special envoy who is fresh off a visit to Moscow, also traveled separately to Paris.

The Élysée Palace said French President Emmanuel Macron was meeting with Witkoff and Rubio for an update on the negotiations to halt Russia’s war in Ukraine. The talks would also explore U.S. tariffs and “the situation in the Middle East, with a view to de-escalating tensions in the region,” and follow up on plans for a European coalition to secure Ukraine after an agreement.

Ahead of his lunch with Witkoff and Rubio, the French president held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Macron’s office said.

Ukraine’s key European backers have sought to ramp up pressure on Moscow by putting the onus on the Kremlin and maintaining that Russian President Vladimir Putin owes President Donald Trump an answer on a full ceasefire. They have tried to persuade Washington to take a tougher line on Russia, which a European official said would be part of Thursday’s effort, as a fragile 30-day ceasefire on energy infrastructure brokered by the Trump administration nears its end.

Andriy Yermak, who heads Zelenskyy’s presidential office, said on X that he would also meet with U.S. officials in Paris on Thursday.

Along with Ukraine’s foreign and defense ministers, Yermak wrote, he met with French, British and German officials about a “coalition of the willing” that could provide a security guarantee for his country.

A schedule circulated by the Élysée showed two officials from these countries – Jonathan Powell, Britain’s national security adviser, and Jens Plotner, Germany’s national security adviser – joining meetings with French, Ukrainian and U.S. officials.

The 30-day energy truce, meant to pave the way for a full ceasefire and peace talks, has yet to yield a wider cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. On Palm Sunday, a Russian missile attack on the center of the town of Sumy killed 35 people and wounded more than 100, mostly civilians.

That strike came two days after Witkoff’s latest visit to Russia, which included a meeting with Putin. Rubio issued a statement of condolence for the victims, but some Ukrainians were upset that it did not condemn Russia, while Trump’s description of it as a “mistake” rankled many.

Russian officials rejected any criticism of the U.S. handling of talks on Thursday. “Many people, agencies, countries are trying to disrupt our dialogue with the United States. Propaganda against Russia is going very actively in the United States in various mass media,” Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s chief negotiator and head of the Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, told reporters in Moscow.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Putin, said that Russia hopes the United States will convey the contents of recent U.S.-Russia talks. “What we see from the Europeans is a focus on continuing the war,” he added.

While Trump has pushed to negotiate with Russia, France and Britain have worked to consolidate a Western coalition to offer security guarantees for a deal in Ukraine on the ground, in the air and at sea. The two countries dispatched military planners to Ukraine this month.

They are drawing up plans for a “reassurance force” of some 25,000 troops that could deploy away from the front line in Ukraine if there is a settlement. Other scenarios feature a bigger role for air and sea power, with a smaller European contingent that could provide training and logistics support to the Ukrainian army.

Even as they make military plans and say allies have indicated readiness to contribute logistics or equipment, the French-British campaign to persuade other European powers to publicly commit troops has faltered in the face of doubts that Washington is willing to back such a force.

Russia has opposed the deployment of troops from other countries in Ukraine.

European officials hope not just for U.S. involvement to help deter Russia from attacking their troops, but also U.S. intelligence and air support. They say the Trump administration has not ruled anything out, though Trump has offered no concrete promises.

The Trump administration has meanwhile made clear it expects Europe to take the reins of securing Ukraine’s future, and of the continent’s defenses.