PARIS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, seeking to shore up European support as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism of a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
US and Ukrainian negotiators held hours of what both sides called “productive” talks in Florida on Sunday on a plan Washington wants to form the basis of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The diplomatic flurry after nearly four years of conflict comes as Kyiv battles military pressure and reels from a domestic corruption scandal that forced Zelensky to remove his close aide and top negotiator.
The Ukrainian leader has been a regular visitor to Paris since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 — this latest visit due to get under way at 10:00 am (0900 GMT).
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in comments to the La Tribune Dimanche newspaper on Sunday that the meeting aimed “to move the negotiations forward.”
“Peace is within reach, if (Russian President) Vladimir Putin abandons his delusional hope of reconstituting the Soviet empire by first subjugating Ukraine,” he added.
Washington put forward an initial 28-point proposal to halt the war, drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies and regarded as too close a reflection of Moscow’s maximalist demands on Ukrainian territory.
It would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognize the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.
After talks in Geneva just over a week ago, the United States updated the original blueprint following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but the current contents remain unclear.
‘Ukraine’s sovereignty’
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is due in Moscow for follow-up talks and is expected to discuss Ukraine with Putin on Tuesday.
The Florida talks were described by both Ukrainian and American negotiators as “productive” but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more work was required and a source in Kyiv’s delegation called the talks “not easy.”
Trump was optimistic, however, telling reporters aboard Air Force One: “I think that there’s a good chance we can make a deal.”
He also referred to political turbulence in Kyiv which saw Zelensky last week remove Andriy Yermak, his chief of staff and top negotiator throughout the conflict, after a corruption scandal in the energy sector that has troubled Western allies.
“Ukraine’s got some difficult little problems,” Trump said.
Ukraine’s security council secretary Rustem Umerov instead led Kyiv’s delegation at the Florida talks.
He wrote on Facebook that he had briefed Zelensky on the “substantial progress” made.
“It is important that the talks have a constructive dynamic and that all issues were discussed openly and with a clear focus on ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests,” Zelensky wrote on X after the talks.
Rubio told reporters the Florida talks were “very productive” but “there’s more work to be done.”
“There are a lot of moving parts, and obviously there’s another party involved here that will have to be a part of the equation, and that will continue later this week when Mr.Witkoff travels to Moscow,” he said.
‘Important days’
Ahead of his meeting with Macron, Zelensky said on social media he had briefed Finland’s President Alexander Stubb — seen as an influential player due to his warm relationship with Trump — on “the signals we have received from the American side.”
He also spoke separately to EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte, saying “these are important days, and much can change.”
The diplomatic push comes as the war — which has killed tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel and displaced millions of Ukrainians — shows no sign of easing.
Russia’s forces targeted Ukraine’s capital and the region with deadly air strikes two nights in a row over the weekend.
A Ukrainian security source, meanwhile, said Kyiv was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea that it believed were covertly transporting sanctioned Russian oil.
One of Russia’s largest oil terminals halted operations on Saturday following a drone attack.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a group that includes US oil majors Chevron and ExxonMobil and which owns the terminal, called the strike a “terrorist attack.”
Ukraine, which did not comment on the incident, regularly targets Russian energy facilities in a bid to sap the country’s war chest.
Zelensky meets Macron to shore up support for Ukraine as Trump optimistic
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Zelensky meets Macron to shore up support for Ukraine as Trump optimistic
- US and Ukrainian negotiators held hours of what both sides called ‘productive’ talks in Florida on Sunday
- The Ukrainian leader has been a regular visitor to Paris since Russia launched an invasion in February 2022
Britain needs to step up defense spending faster, says Starmer
- Britain’s budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, said last year that raising defense spending to 3 percent of the GDP would cost an additional £17.3 billion a year ($24 billion) in 2029-30
LONDON: Britain should step up and accelerate its defense spending, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, following a report that the government was considering bringing forward its target to spend 3 percent of economic output on defense.
Britain, which has warned of the risks posed by Russia, said in February 2025 that it would lift annual defense spending to 2.5 percent of the GDP by 2027 and aim for 3 percent in the next Parliament, which is expected to begin after an election due in 2029.
The BBC reported that the government was now exploring ways to reach the 3 percent target by 2029. It said no decision had been taken but the government recognized current plans would not cover rising defense costs.
HIGHLIGHT
The BBC reported that the government is now exploring ways to reach the 3 percent target by 2029.
Asked whether he would bring the target forward to 2029, Starmer echoed comments he made at the Munich Security Conference, where he said Europe had united to support Ukraine with the supply of weapons and munitions and to strengthen military readiness.
“We need to step up. That means on defense spending, we need to go faster,” Starmer told reporters on Monday. “We’ve obviously made commitments already in relation to that, but it goes beyond just how much you spend.”
Latest NATO estimates show that Britain spent 2.3 percent of the GDP on defense in 2024, above the alliance’s 2 percent guideline. But like other European countries, it has faced US pressure to spend more to protect the continent. Struggling with high debt and spending commitments, the government last year cut its international aid budget to fund the hike in defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP but is yet to publish an investment plan with spending priorities, something that has frustrated the defense industry.
Britain’s budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, said last year that raising defense spending to 3 percent of the GDP would cost an additional £17.3 billion a year ($24 billion) in 2029-30.
Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has struggled to stay on track with her plans to repair the public finances. The BBC said the Finance Ministry was believed to be cautious about the new defense spending proposals.
A government spokesperson said Britain was “delivering the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War.”
