US, Ukraine and European allies hold ‘excellent exchange’ in Paris talks on ending Russia's war

US, Ukraine, EU hold talks, push for Russia ceasefire.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump’s international envoy Steve Witkoff held high-level talks with Ukrainian and European officials in Paris on Thursday, seeking to bolster Ukraine’s defences against Russia’s continuing invasion, in what was described as an “excellent exchange” by an Elysée source, CNN reported.

An Elysée source said Ukrainian and US officials engaged in an “excellent exchange” with their British, French, and German counterparts, describing the Paris talks as “a very strong strategic opportunity.”

The four European nations and Ukraine reportedly reiterated their shared support for Trump’s stated efforts to bring the war to a swift end. More talks in the same format are expected in London next week, though it is yet to be confirmed if Rubio will attend.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the discussions, calling it a “day of diplomatic mobilisation.” In a post on social media, Macron said: “Today, we engaged in a positive and constructive discussion on how to achieve both a ceasefire and a comprehensive, lasting peace.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also commended the meeting and expressed gratitude to Macron and the other participants. “It is important that we hear each other, refine and clarify our positions, and work for the sake of real security of Ukraine and all (of) our Europe,” he said on social media.

President Trump told reporters on Thursday that the US expects to “hear” from Russia “this week” on Washington’s ceasefire proposal. “We’re going to be hearing from them this week, very shortly, actually, and we’ll see. But we want it to stop. We want the death and the killing to stop,” he said from the Oval Office.

Although Trump noted he is not a “big fan” of Zelensky, he said he doesn’t hold the Ukrainian leader responsible for the war. “I don’t hold Zelensky responsible, but I’m not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started. That was a war that would have never started if I were president,” he added.

Trump’s previous assertions that he could end the war in a single day have been met with scepticism, particularly as Russia has intensified attacks despite US diplomatic overtures. A hoped-for Easter truce never materialised.

The Paris summit also served as a litmus test for European allies to assess the Trump administration’s position on the war. Kyiv and its partners remain uneasy about Witkoff’s perceived endorsement of Russian narratives. His recent suggestion that any peace deal could revolve around the “so-called five territories” – including Crimea and four regions occupied since 2022 – raised alarms in Ukraine. Witkoff had met Russian President Vladimir Putin for the third time last week.

Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian MP, told CNN: “Witkoff, with all due respect… may be inadvertently trying to push pro-Russian narratives.”

Despite bold promises, the Trump administration has struggled to engineer a durable peace. A brief US-led ceasefire initiative in March saw Ukraine agree to pause strikes on energy targets and the Black Sea. But Russia later demanded sanctions relief before honouring any truce. The Kremlin has since increased attacks.

Trump, signalling frustration last week, said “Russia has to get moving,” but offered no timeline or consequences if it did not.