Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday advocated for a “sustainable” peace in Ukraine after several hours of discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron.
As reported by the Guardian, Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of global leaders in facilitating negotiations.
“During our extensive discussions, @EmmanuelMacron and I reviewed numerous details. The primary emphasis was on negotiations aimed at concluding the war and establishing security guarantees,” Zelenskyy stated.
“Peace must be genuinely sustainable. The war needs to conclude as swiftly as possible. Much now hinges on the engagement of every leader. We will also be in discussions with other leaders today. Thank you!” he added.
In the meantime, Zelenskyy mentioned that he and Macron utilized the meeting to converse with several European leaders, US peace envoy Steve Witkoff, and Ukrainian Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov, who is leading the Ukrainian delegation in meetings with US officials in Florida.
“Alongside French President @EmmanuelMacron and with the involvement of UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer, we just communicated with the head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov and US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff following the meeting of the Ukraine-U.S. delegations in Florida. It was a significant briefing, and we concurred to discuss further details in person—our teams will coordinate schedules for potential additional contacts,” Zelenskyy posted on X.
Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy indicated that challenging issues remain unresolved following the US-Ukrainian discussions in Florida, as he and other Ukrainian officials traveled across Europe to garner support while US peace envoy Steve Witkoff proceeded to Moscow to update the Kremlin.
Diplomatic initiatives to conclude Europe’s most lethal conflict in generations escalated on Monday, following meetings between US and Ukrainian officials at a Florida golf resort established by Trump’s envoy and fellow real estate entrepreneur Steve Witkoff.
Following a demonstration of support from Macron in Paris, Zelenskyy is set to visit Ireland on Tuesday.
Ukraine’s defense minister is expected to meet with NATO officials in Brussels, while Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Kyiv and its European allies are urging Washington to amend a proposed US peace plan that initially supported several of Russia’s primary demands: territorial concessions, restrictions on the Ukrainian military, a renunciation of NATO membership, and a prohibition on hosting Western troops.
Ukraine has dismissed these conditions as equivalent to surrender, cautioning that they would render the nation susceptible to a future Russian takeover, following Moscow’s invasions in 2014 and 2022.
