President Volodymyr Zelensky said “the war must end as soon as possible” after holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.
The two leaders met at the Élysée Palace a day after top Ukrainian and US negotiators discussed a US-backed peace plan that some European nations fear could grant Russia excessive concessions.
Zelensky wrote on social media that his hours-long talks with Macron focused on “negotiations to end the war” and “security guarantees.”
“Peace must become truly reliable. Much now depends on the activity of each leader,” Zelensky wrote in his social media update.
Over the weekend, Zelensky’s negotiating team, led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council (RNBO), held extensive talks in Miami with US negotiators, including US President Donald Trump’s Russia envoy, Steve Witkoff, on a proposed peace plan.
Zelensky described the discussions as “very constructive” and said his team would brief him on next steps.
Shortly after his meeting with Macron in Paris, Zelensky had a joint call with Macron, Umerov, Witkoff, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to review the outcomes of Sunday’s Miami talks.
The Ukrainian president called the briefing “important” and said the teams had agreed to discuss further details in person, coordinating schedules for follow-up contacts.
The diplomacy comes as Washington advances a US-backed peace plan, initially criticized for proposing Ukrainian territorial concessions and recognizing Russian control over Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk. Leaked recordings suggested the initial draft originated from the Kremlin.
The plan was revised in Geneva after objections from Kyiv and European allies. Witkoff is scheduled to travel to Moscow on Tuesday for follow-up discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv is also navigating internal political turbulence following the removal last week of Zelensky’s top negotiator and chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, amid a corruption probe.