"Behind the scenes: The meeting in Paris follows a call on Wednesday between Trump and France President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Merz said Thursday that he and his fellow leaders had told Trump that only Ukraine can determine what to do with its own territory. Merz said the call was constructive and that both sides showed respect. Trump, by contrast, said the participants "discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words.""
"Rubio led the U.S. delegation for talks with Ukraine in Geneva three weeks ago, but since then the negotiations have been led by Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. Zelensky and the Europeans also want to hold a joint call with Trump, but it hasn't been scheduled yet, a White House official and a source with knowledge said."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faces growing pressure from the U.S. to accept Trump's 20-point plan that includes major territorial losses and other concessions. European leaders counsel patience, reassuring Kyiv while frustrating some U.S. officials, and coordinated calls among Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, and Keir Starmer ahead of a Paris meeting. German Chancellor Merz emphasized that only Ukraine can determine its territory, while Trump described the leaders' call as discussing Ukraine in "pretty strong words." Marco Rubio's attendance at talks is unclear as negotiations shifted to Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Ukraine delivered a point-by-point response with proposals on territory and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and Russia demanded broader security guarantees while rejecting Ukrainian NATO membership.
Read at Axios
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