Volodimir Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone from the Elysee with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday, ahead of their arrival in Moscow on Tuesday to negotiate Donald Trump's peace plan, as confirmed by the Kremlin. The Ukrainian president and the French president also separately held consultations with several European leaders, including Prime MinisterKeir Starmer and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in preparation for "the potentially decisive week" regarding the war in Ukraine (in the words of EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas).
"We delved into many details during our several-hour conversation," wrote Zelenskyy on his X account, acknowledging that there are still "tough issues" to resolve. "The main focus has been on negotiations to end the war and security conditions," he added. "Peace must be lasting, and that now depends on the involvement of each leader."
"The peace plan is improving," Zelenskyy acknowledged during the press conference after the meeting with Macron. "We must end this war in a dignified manner and preserve our independence, for the long-term interests of the democratic world."
"Currently, there is no plan that resolves the issue of territories [occupied by Russia]," Macron warned. "For the plan to be complete, Ukraine must be at the negotiating table, Russia must sit at the same table, and so must the European countries."
"Security guarantees cannot be discussed without Ukraine and its European allies, as it also concerns the security of Europe," emphasized the French president, highlighting the importance of "US involvement in the commitment to the stability and security of the continent.
"We don't have to give lessons to Ukraine," who warned that pressure on Moscow will intensify in the coming weeks with "a comprehensive plan of sanctions, both on oil and on its ghost fleet."
Zelenskyy also reported that the Ukrainian delegation, led by him, will hold intense discussions with European leaders from Ireland on Tuesday while the US delegation presents its updated plan to Moscow: "After all this, we will know where we stand."
Zelenskyy arrived in Paris on Monday, his tenth official visit since the start of the war, and was warmly welcomed and honored by Macron, two weeks after the military cooperation agreement that includes the sale of 100 Rafale fighter jets to Kiev. The two leaders discussed "conditions for a fair and lasting peace, in line with the Geneva talks and the US plan and in close consultation with our European partners," a spokesperson for the Elysee reported.
Zelenskyy and Macron also reviewed the "work done on security guarantees within the framework of the volunteer coalition," which brings together 35 countries and has an emerging infrastructure on the outskirts of Paris, "ready to be operational from the first day peace is achieved."
Also on the agenda was the future of the Donbass region and the potential territorial concessions initially included in the American plan in 28 points, "which has been extensively amended," according to French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot.
"Peace is within reach if Russia abandons its illusory hope of rebuilding the Soviet empire by subjugating Ukraine," Barrot warned in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche. "Putin must accept the ceasefire or face the determination to expose Russia to new sanctions that will drain its economy."
"We have spared no effort to ensure that everything is done in the interest of peace in Ukraine and security for Europe," added Barrot, downplaying the absence of European representatives in the talks held in Florida between Ukrainian and American negotiators.
"We have succeeded in getting the United States to express for the first time its intention to work with us in preparing security guarantees; that is, in the military elements that will prevent any further aggression once peace is achieved," Barrot added.
Zelenskyy returned to Paris two weeks after the military cooperation agreement signed with Macron, which will allow the Ukrainian army to have 100 Rafale fighter jets of French manufacture for an unspecified period. His visit, accompanied by his wife, Olena Zelenska, has a moral dimension this time, with the launch of the campaign "Bring Back the Children," "to recover the 2,000 Ukrainian children torn from their families by Russia" (in the words of Jean-Noël Barrot).
Zelenskyy's visit to Paris, where he will visit Ireland on Tuesday on a new European tour, will also serve to promote the so-called "Ukraine Season," with a series of artistic events that will travel throughout France paying tribute to "the resilience of the Ukrainian people against Russian aggression."