Macron and Zelensky unite for lasting peace in Ukraine
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that on Monday evening, he had a phone conversation with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. The discussion focused on security guarantees and the pursuit of lasting peace in Ukraine.
"We share a common vision: security guarantees must be robust and reliable," Zelensky declared on platform X. "Any other decision without such guarantees—such as a fragile ceasefire—would only serve as another deception by Russia and a prelude to a new Russian war against Ukraine or other European nations," warned the Ukrainian president.
Meeting of European leaders in Paris
On Monday in Paris, an informal meeting of European leaders was convened by President Macron.
Heads of government from Poland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark participated. Also present were NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa.
USA and Russia talks in Riyadh
On Tuesday in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, a meeting between U.S. and Russian delegations will take place. This will be the first such meeting since the war in Ukraine began. The discussions will focus on the restoration of bilateral relations and preparations for potential peace talks regarding Ukraine.
The meeting will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff.
The Russian side will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential advisor on foreign policy Yuri Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian national wealth fund.
The authorities of Ukraine and the European Union were not invited to participate in this meeting. Despite earlier statements from Donald Trump, who suggested that the meeting could mark the beginning of resolutions regarding the end of the war in Ukraine, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated that the U.S. does not view this meeting as the start of negotiations or a "step towards any negotiations."
