Zelensky to reportedly meet European leaders in Paris on Sept. 4
President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to meet with European leaders in Paris on Sept. 4, AFP and Suspline reported, citing undisclosed sources.
The meeting was called by French President Emmanuel Macron as part of ongoing international efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the Financial Times.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker a swift peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow, is not expected to attend the meeting at the moment, a source told AFP.
The talks would focus on security guarantees for Kyiv and diplomacy as Russia once again avoids efforts to end the war, according to the news agency's source.
Despite Trump's meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15 and with Zelensky and European leaders on Aug. 18, there seems to have been little progress toward ending the hostilities or an in-person meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
Other European leaders who attended the Washington summit with Trump, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are set to meet again in Paris on Sept. 4, the Financial Times reports.
While Kyiv's European partners have vowed to provide Ukraine with security guarantees to deter renewed Russian aggression — including a deployment of a multi-national "reassurance force" — Moscow has repeatedly rejected the presence of NATO troops as part of any peace deal.
The Kremlin has also dismissed ceasefire proposals and ramped up attacks against Ukrainian cities, with the Russian military recently announcing its intent to sustain its ground offensives and aerial campaign.
According to Axios, Trump is considering withdrawing from diplomatic efforts until one or both sides demonstrate what a White House source described as greater flexibility.
Despite months of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts, Trump has not taken concrete steps to pressure Moscow to stop fighting, while his administration paused military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine at various points.
