Paris, Apr. 17, (dpa/GNA) – France is satisfied with the outcome of talks in Paris with US, European and Ukrainian representatives on a possible end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Élysée sources spoke after the talks on Thursday of an “excellent exchange.”
Ukraine, the United States and the Europeans share the same goal, namely to achieve a solid peace as quickly as possible and to guarantee respect for Ukraine’s fundamental rights.
According to French sources, this was the first time that the Ukrainian, European and US sides had come together for talks on peace in Ukraine.
Few details emerged on the exact content of discussions on Thursday, but additional talks are scheduled to take place in London as early as next week.
Talks in various combinations
Since the morning, US representatives, Ukrainian negotiators and advisers to the French, British and German governments held talks in various formats at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met French diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne. They were joined by German foreign and security policy adviser Jens Plötner.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Thursday evening after the talks.
Macron had already spoken with Zelensky before his meeting with Witkoff and Rubio. In a Telegram message on Thursday evening, Zelensky thanked Macron for his efforts.
However, in a conversation with journalists, Zelensky criticized Witkoff for representing Russian positions after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg last week.
Zelensky emphasized that the Ukrainian delegation in Paris had only been mandated to discuss a ceasefire, not Moscow’s demand that Ukraine cede territory.
French sources said all the important points that should be part of a peace agreement were discussed on Thursday. The exchange was called “very strategic.”
According to sources in Paris, European, Ukrainian and US representatives are to meet again in the same format as early as next week.
Different approaches
The numerous rounds of talks in Paris were followed with great interest because representatives with very different approaches to a possible end to the war in Ukraine came together there.
US President Donald Trump wants a quick end to the war and a rapprochement between the US and Russia.
The US State Department said the talks sought to advance President Donald Trump’s goal “to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed.”
After the contacts with Putin, Trump and Witkoff have emphasized that their impression was that he wanted peace and they are more inclined to put pressure on Ukraine.
France, on the other hand, like the UK and other European countries, is pursuing the approach of strengthening Ukraine as much as possible before negotiations and supporting it militarily.
Rubio speaks with Moscow
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Rubio informed his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov about the talks in Paris.
Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s willingness to continue working with the US side “to reliably eliminate the root causes of the crisis in Ukraine,” his ministry in Moscow said.
Lavrov and Rubio agreed to remain in contact, also with a view to the meeting between the US, European and Ukrainian representatives in London next week.
GNA
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