Paris talks on Ukraine signal European role in ceasefire negotiations, French FM says

Ceasefire talks among European, Ukrainian, and U.S. officials for the first time signal Europe's role at the negotiating table, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in Paris on April 17.

The U.S. has largely shut Europe out of Ukraine peace talks, raising alarm among European officials and pushing Europe to work its way back to the negotiating table. A Paris meeting was held on April 17 to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

Barrot noted officials from all three sides have agreed to regroup in London next week to continue discussions regarding security guarantees for Ukraine and a ceasefire.

"(T)hese very open, very frank discussions will have made it possible to advance the thinking of the Europeans, the Ukrainians, and the Americans, who have agreed to meet next week in London to continue discussions," Barrot said.

The foreign minister noted that Russia has yet to agree to a full ceasefire, despite Ukraine already doing so.

"(W)e can hope in the very near future to achieve a full and complete, unconditional ceasefire, to which the Ukrainians have already agreed and to which we hope Russia will agree in turn," Barrot said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff were in Paris for the high-level meetings on ending the war in Ukraine.

The U.S. officials were joined by Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

"For a long time, we feared that the Europeans would not be around the table. Well, today, it is in Paris that the Europeans, the Americans, and the Ukrainians have met for the first time," Barrot said.

The U.S. has led separate talks with Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia to reach a ceasefire. On April 6, Zelensky said Russia is rejecting an unconditional ceasefire because it wants to continue launching missile strikes from the Black Sea.

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