Zelensky meets Macron... and Trump is optimistic about the peace plan with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, at the Élysée Palace in Paris today, Monday, in a visit of paramount strategic importance amid the critical junctures in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. This bilateral summit comes a day after intensive talks in the United States, where President-elect Donald Trump expressed notable optimism regarding the feasibility of implementing his plan to end the conflict, which has been ongoing since February 2022.
Paris Summit: Seeking Security Guarantees
French President Emmanuel Macron will receive his Ukrainian counterpart at 10:00 AM GMT for a meeting that will include a working lunch and a joint press conference. The French presidency confirmed that the talks will focus on "exchanging views on the situation on the ground and the conditions for achieving a just and lasting peace." This meeting follows recent discussions in Geneva and is part of close consultations with European partners who are seeking to ensure that Europe's role is not marginalized in any future settlement imposed by Washington and Moscow.
International context and details of the American plan
Zelensky's visit to Paris coincides with unprecedented US diplomatic activity, as American and Ukrainian officials held talks in Florida described as "productive" but "difficult." The discussions centered on the 28-point US peace plan, which Washington presented about ten days prior. Leaks indicate that the plan takes into account some Russian demands, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk region and de facto recognition of Russian control over Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk—a significant challenge for the Ukrainian leadership, which has long maintained its territorial integrity.
Challenges within Ukraine and pressure on the ground
The Ukrainian president faces a double bind. On one hand, the Russian army continues its slow but steady advance on the eastern front, exploiting the Ukrainian forces' ammunition shortages and fatigue. On the other hand, Kyiv is gripped by an internal political crisis triggered by corruption scandals that led to the dismissal of the president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, who was considered the second most powerful figure in the country and head of the negotiating team. This has weakened Zelensky's negotiating position with both his allies and opponents.
A crucial week for the future of Europe
The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, described this week as potentially "pivotal" for efforts to end the most violent conflict on the continent since World War II. European capitals fear that any hasty agreement between Trump and Putin could undermine long-term European security. In this context, US Special Envoy Steve Witkopf is traveling to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a move that suggests a faster pace of back-channel negotiations to end the war.
