Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky convened with FrFrench President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday to reinforce European solidarity for Kyiv's position, even as US President Donald Trump voiced guarded optimism about brokering an end to Russia's nearly four-year invasion. The high-stakes diplomacy unfolds against Kyiv's mounting military strains and a fresh domestic corruption crisis that prompted Zelensky to dismiss his longtime chief of staff and lead negotiator, Andriy Yermak.
US and Ukrainian envoys concluded several hours of what both described as "productive" discussions in Florida on Sunday, centered on a revised American peace blueprint that Washington envisions as the foundation for trilateral talks involving Moscow. The initial 28-point proposal, crafted without European consultation and criticized for mirroring Russian territorial maximalism—including Ukrainian withdrawals from Donetsk and de facto recognition of annexed regions like Crimea and Luhansk—has since been adjusted following sharp rebukes from Kyiv and its allies, though exact revisions remain undisclosed.
Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is slated to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, advancing the momentum from Geneva consultations earlier this month. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the Florida session as "very productive" yet incomplete, with "many moving parts" still in play, Trump projected confidence aboard Air Force One, stating a "good chance" exists for a breakthrough. He alluded to Ukraine's internal upheavals, including the energy sector scandal that eroded Western confidence and necessitated Rustem Umerov stepping in as delegation head.
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Umerov, Ukraine's security council secretary, reported "substantial progress" to Zelensky post-talks, emphasizing open dialogue centered on safeguarding national sovereignty. Zelensky, in turn, underscored the urgency on social media, briefing Finnish President Alexander Stubb—whose rapport with Trump could prove pivotal—alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot framed the Macron summit as a catalyst to propel negotiations, conditioning peace on Putin's abandonment of imperial ambitions over Ukraine.
As hostilities persist unabated—with Russian airstrikes battering Kyiv over the weekend and Ukraine claiming strikes on Black Sea oil tankers to disrupt Moscow's war funding—these "important days" carry profound weight. Tens of thousands dead, millions displaced, and Russia's occupation of 20 percent of Ukrainian territory underscore the fragility of any accord, testing whether Trump's transactional approach can yield a durable resolution without compromising Kyiv's territorial integrity.
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