WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and particular presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Gen. Keith Kellogg kicked off high-stakes talks in France Thursday with European and Ukrainian officers — marking the primary time that each envoys had been on the negotiation desk to debate an finish to the struggle.
The trio met with French President Emmanuel Macron in addition to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of workers Andrii Yermak, senior administration officers informed The Put up.
The State Division had introduced Wednesday that Rubio and Witkoff would make the journey to France, however gave a imprecise description of the go to in a quick assertion that didn’t point out Kellogg or the presence of a Ukrainian delegation.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ambassador Steve Witkoff will journey to Paris, France, April 16-18 for talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s objective to finish the Russia-Ukraine struggle and cease the bloodshed,” the State Division mentioned.
“Whereas in Paris, he can even talk about methods to advance shared pursuits within the area.”
The group was additionally anticipated to debate the France and United Kingdom-led “coalition of the keen” — a gaggle of roughly 30 international locations, excluding the US, working to develop safety ensures for Ukraine.
This might embody the doable deployment of peacekeeping troops ought to a full cease-fire or finish to the struggle be reached.
Witkoff, who has up to now solely met with Moscow’s leaders on the Ukraine struggle, together with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has tended to be extra “sympathetic” to the Kremlin in peace discussions, specialists informed The Put up.
Russia hawks hope that bringing each the envoys for Kyiv and Moscow collectively will assist proper that.
“The Trump administration has, for higher or worse, determined to have two completely different envoys speaking to every aspect, and one among them, Witkoff, is far nearer to President Trump, and Witkoff can be appears to be extra sympathetic to the Russian view of issues,” mentioned Basis for Defending Democracies Russia program lead John Hardie.
“A few of that might be only a lack of publicity to the views of Ukrainians and European officers, so hopefully immediately, European colleagues can sort of impress upon a few of their views, and maybe, for instance, why it’s not such a good suggestion to cave to Russian territorial calls for.”
Nonetheless, Kellogg has been a longtime adviser and buddy to Trump and helped efficiently persuade Ukraine to comply with a full cease-fire with Russia.
Kellogg beforehand labored for the Nationwide Safety Council for the whole lot of the president’s first time period in workplace from 2017 to 2021.
Nevertheless, the cease-fire, proposed by Trump, remains to be not in place, as Witkoff has up to now been unable to persuade Moscow to comply with the unconditional pause in battle to open the door for peace negotiations.
After assembly Putin for 5 hours of talks final week, Witkoff indicated he believed Russia was open to a “everlasting peace” deal — if the US agreed to assist Moscow’s need to annex 5 jap Ukrainian oblasts.
Consultants have warned towards agreeing to Russia’s calls for, saying it could reward the invading nation and sign to adversaries, akin to China, that the US gained’t push again towards unlawful invasions of sovereign territories.
Kellogg can be towards Witkoff and Putin’s proposal, with sources telling The Put up he pushed again on the thought throughout a debrief of Witkoff’s assembly with Trump final Friday.
Individually, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth additionally met together with his French counterpart, Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, on the Pentagon to debate the continued struggle in Ukraine.
“The Secretary urged France to extend protection spending and, alongside different NATO allies, take main duty for Europe’s typical protection,” the Protection Division mentioned in a readout of the go to.
“Secretary Hegseth and Minister Lecornu mentioned associated priorities, as properly, together with ongoing efforts towards a sturdy peace in Ukraine.”
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