Zelensky meeting Macron in France after US-Ukraine peace deal talks
Editor's note: The story is being updated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Paris on Dec. 1 to meet French President Emmanuel Macron for discussions on Ukraine's path toward peace.
After arriving together with First Lady Olena Zelenska, the Ukrainian president is meeting Macron at the Elysee Palace.
The visit follows talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Florida, as Kyiv seeks to negotiate better conditions in the Washington-backed peace deal.
Macron's office said last week that the two presidents would discuss "the conditions of a just and durable peace." Suspilne reported that the presidents will also visit the production facilities of the French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.
This marks Zelensky's 10th visit to France since the outbreak of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 and the second one in recent weeks.
The Ukrainian president previously met Macron on Nov. 17 to sign an agreement on potential major arms purchases, including 100 Dassault Rafale fighter jets to bolster Ukraine's Air Force.
Ukraine finds itself in an increasingly challenging situation in the war, grappling with a corruption scandal that preceded the resignation of Zelensky's top aide, Andriy Yermak, and facing pressure from the U.S. to conclude a swift and potentially unfavorable peace agreement.
European leaders have been scrambling to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan, which, in its original form, would see Ukraine cede territory, give up on its NATO aspirations, and limit its military size.
The plan has since been revised during talks between Ukrainian, U.S., and European officials in Geneva on Nov. 23, and further refined in Florida to make it more palatable to Kyiv.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 2 to continue talks on the deal with the Russian side.
According to Axios, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, who led the talks with the U.S. in Florida, is expected to meet Zelensky in Paris to brief him on the results.
Zelensky praised the talks in Florida as "constructive" but said there "are some tough issues that still have to be worked through."
"Our representatives will return to Europe in the coming days, and after speaking with them and receiving a full report on how the negotiations went, we will decide on our further activities," he added.
Paris has been a key backer of Ukraine since 2022, providing fighter jets, artillery, and long-range missiles, and being one of the leading players in the so-called "Coalition of the Willing."
The coalition was established earlier this year to ensure security guarantees for Ukraine to deter further Russian aggression, including by potentially deploying troops on the ground after the war.
