Washington-the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, and the special presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and General Keith Kellogg initiated high-risk conversations in France Thorsday with European and Ukrainian officials who marked the first time that both envoys were at the negotiating table to discuss war.
The trio with the French president Emmanuel Macron, as well as the chief of cabinet of the Ukrainian President Volodymyrky, Andrii Yermak, senior administration officials to The Post.
The State Department had announced on Wednesday that Rubio and Witkoff would make the trip to France, but would cool a vague description of the visit in a letter statement that did not mention Kellogg or the presence of a Ukrainian delegation.
“The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and Ambassador Steve Witkoff will travel to Paris, France, from April 16 to 18 for conversations with European counterparts to advance the goal of President Trump to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop blood spill,” said the State Department.
“While in Paris, it will also discuss ways to advance in the interests shared in the region.”
The group was also expected to discuss the “Willing Coalition” directed by France and the United Kingdom, a group of approximately 30 countries, excluding the United States, working to develop security guarantees for Ukraine.
This could include the possible deployment of peace maintenance troops in case a high fire or the end of the war is reached.
Witkoff, who until now only has with the leaders of Moscow in the Ukraine War, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, has tended to be more “comprehensive” with the Kremlin in peace discussions, experts said to the post.
Russia Halts hope that bringing both envoys for Kyiv and Moscow together help what helps.
“The Trump administration, for better or worse, has decided that two different envoys talking with each side, and one of them, Witkoff, is much closer to President Trump, and Witkoff also seems to be more understanding with the Russian vision of things, Hardie said.
“Some of that could be just a lack of exposure to the views of the Ukrainians and European officials, so hopefully today, European colleagues can influence impressing some of their views, and perhaps, for example, a good idea Terals.”
Even so, Kellogg has been an advisor and friend for a long time from Trump and helped successfully convince Ukraine to accept a full fire with Russia.
Kellogg previously worked for the National Security Council for the entire president of the president in the position of 2017 to 2021.
However, El Alto El Fuego, which Trump proposes, is not yet in its place, since Witkoff has so far been able to convince Moscow to accept the unconditional pause in the conflict to open peace negotiations.
After meeting with Putin for five hours of conversations last week, Witkoff indicated that he believed that Russia was open to a “permanent peace” agreement, if the United States agreed to support Moscow’s desire to annex five oblastes from East of Ukainians.
Experts have warned that they agree to agree on Russia’s demands, saying that he would reward the invading country and point to adversaries, such as China, that the United States won reject the illegal invasions of sovereign territories.
Kellogg is also against Witkoff and Putin’s proposal, with the sources count the position that delayed the duration of the idea of the Witkoff meeting with Trump last Friday.
Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseeth also with his French counterpart, the Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, in the Pentagon to discuss the current war in Ucrine.
“The secretary urged France to increase defense expense and, together with other NATO allies, assume the main responsibility of the conventional defense of Europe,” the Department of Defense said in a reading of the visit.
“Secretary Hegseeth and Minister Lecornu also discussed related priorities, including continuous efforts towards lasting peace in Ukraine.”