French President Emmanuel Macron received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris for the 10th time this Monday and considered the ongoing peace negotiations “a moment that could be a turning point” for “the future of peace in Ukraine and security in Europe”.
The war has been going on for almost four years, this milestone is marked on February 24, 2026, and there have been many meetings between Ukraine, its European allies and the country that has guaranteed much of its military defense, the United States. Expectations are understandably low, but the Europeans, for whom Macron has been a kind of unofficial representative, continue to try to put pressure on United States President Donald Trump so that Ukraine’s position is taken into account in negotiations with Moscow.
For that very reason, the French head of state once again stated that “nothing can be decided without Ukraine’s approval”which includes any ceding of territories that Trump may be tempted to accept on the promise that Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to cease the attacks. Another perspective that seems distant, judging by the heavy bombing of Ukrainian cities that Russia has launched. In the early hours of Saturday the capital, Kiev, was under intense attack and this Monday it was Dnipro, an important logistical center for operations in the east, that was most affected.
The moment is delicatedo. Russian forces continue to gain ground in eastern Ukraine and Zelensky faces internal pressure following a corruption scandal that led to the resignation of his chief of staffAndriy Yermak, who served as Ukraine’s main negotiator with the United States and was considered almost a second president, a man completely trusted by Zelensky, his friend since the time when the current president of Ukraine was a successful comedian.
Zelensky’s visit to Paris followed a meeting between Ukrainian and US officials in Florida on Sunday, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as productive. The two sides are trying to find a common path that could include some demands from Russia, very evident in the plan proposed by the US, but without granting a total capitulation of Ukraine.
O original 28 point plan (meanwhile transformed into 19) was received with criticism, mainly by Ukraine’s European allies who, although they continue to say that they value the US efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, contested central points of the plan such as the lack of concrete security guarantees for Ukraine, the reduction in its army’s numbers and the handover, to Russia, of territories in the Donbas that are still Ukrainian. For this reason, Macron stressed, Negotiations on the proposed plan are still in a “preliminary phase”adding that, in the coming days, there will be “crucial discussions” between US authorities and Ukraine’s European partners.
The main objective continues to be to clarify what the real US participation will be in the security guarantees to be provided to Ukraine after an eventual ceasefire or peace agreement. Macron had already asked, a week ago, that Western allies offer “rock-solid” guarantees to Ukraine and defended the sending of a “force” by land, sea and air to help guarantee the country’s security.
The French president also insisted that Europeans must play a role in finalizing the peace plan. “On the issue of frozen assets, security guarantees, membership of the European Union and European sanctions, this can only be finalized with Europeans at the table.”
Alongside Macron at the press conference, after a meeting lasting several hours, Zelensky drew attention to the intensification of Russian attacks. “We are seeing an increase in missile and drone attacks. It is a serious pressure, not only psychological, but also physical, on our population, to try to break the spirit of Ukrainians,” he declared. Zelensky also said that the territorial issue is the most complex and that is why “security guarantees” are an “indispensable” part of any agreement.
Regarding sanctions, Macron said he expects the latest round of sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to be “the biggest” since the start of the large-scale invasion. “The level of pressure on oil and gas companies in Russia will, I believe, be a decisive factor,” said the French president, adding that “the level of pressure on the Russian economy will clearly increase.”
The two heads of state were not always alone, but held a succession of meetings with European partners, including leaders from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Norway and Finland. The President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also participated, as did NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte. The US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, also participated in some joint calls.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin will meet with Witkoff on Tuesday afternoon. Witkoff’s role in peace efforts was in check last week after news tIt is suggested that the American gave some tips to Putin’s advisers on the best way to convince Trump to accept Russian demands.
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