European leaders demonstrated strong support for President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Monday, as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow for talks with the Kremlin. The meeting between Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron, which included a call with other European leaders, emphasized solidarity amid delicate negotiations to revise a U.S. peace proposal seen as initially favoring Russia.
Zelensky stated that preserving Ukraine's sovereignty and securing guarantees were his top priorities, with territorial issues being the most complex. He hopes to speak directly with President Donald Trump after his envoy's Moscow trip. Macron reinforced that only Ukraine could decide on its territories in any deal.
These talks follow a weekend meeting in Florida where U.S. and Ukrainian officials worked on amending the 28-point Washington plan. Zelensky acknowledged "some tough issues" remain unresolved. The original terms demanded significant concessions from Kyiv, including ceding extra territory, limiting its military, and renouncing NATO—conditions Ukraine and Europe reject as capitulation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the talks as productive but delicate, with more work needed.
The diplomacy unfolds during a severe crisis for Kyiv. Ukrainian forces are losing ground on the eastern front along the 1,200-km (750-mile) line while the government grapples with a major corruption scandal. Zelensky's chief of staff resigned Friday after investigators searched his home, two ministers were fired, and a former Zelensky associate is a suspect. Commenting on the scandal, Donald Trump said Ukraine had "some difficult little problems" but believed both sides wanted a deal.
On the battlefield, Russia's offensive continues. A missile strike on Dnipro killed four and wounded 40, with 11 in serious condition. Moscow claims to have captured the settlement of Klynove and nears taking Pokrovsk, while its sustained strikes on energy infrastructure threaten Ukraine with another harsh winter. Ukraine continues long-range attacks on Russian oil export facilities, which the Kremlin denounced Monday.
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Source: REUTERS
