US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump’s international envoy Steve Witkoff met with high-level officials from Ukraine and Europe in Paris to discuss bolstering Ukraine’s defenses against Russia’s ongoing invasion. The summit aimed to bring about a rapid end to the war, but experts say the talks may be far-fetched given Russia’s recent escalation of strikes.
The meeting provided an opportunity for Ukrainian and European officials to gauge the Trump administration’s thinking on the conflict, which has raised concerns among Kyiv’s allies over Trump’s perceived pro-Russian stance. Witkoff stated that any peace deal would center on five key territories, sparking accusations from some that he is promoting Kremlin talking points.
The US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in March was met with swift agreement from Ukraine, but the supposed truce has done little to constrain Russia’s aggression. In fact, the Russian army killed nearly 2.5 times more Ukrainians during the same period after the truce was announced.
Trump vowed that the US would be “hearing” from Russia this week regarding a potential ceasefire, but provided no deadlines or ultimatum if it did not. The Paris summit comes as tensions between Moscow and Washington remain high, with Trump’s administration struggling to broker a lasting peace deal.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/17/europe/us-ukraine-talks-europe-peace-intl/index.html