Rubio and Witkoff to Visit France for Ukraine Peace Talks Next Week, Politico Reports

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, are scheduled to visit Paris later this week, according to Politico on April 16, citing two sources familiar with the trip’s planning.

An official familiar with the preparations said the discussions will focus on Ukraine, among other topics.

Witkoff is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, while Rubio will engage with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

One US official emphasized that the meetings in France are particularly significant following Witkoff’s recent visit to Moscow, where he discussed a potential ceasefire in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On April 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Witkoff’s recent comments regarding potential peace negotiations over Ukraine’s territory, underscoring that any discussion on Ukraine’s territorial integrity must solely involve the Ukrainian people.

On April 14, Witkoff said his talk with Vladimir Putin focused on ending the war in Ukraine through a deal centered around control of “five territories.”

Zelenskyy has stressed several times in the past that Ukraine will not recognize Russian control over occupied territories, emphasizing that the country’s laws prevent any such concession.

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