Name: "Productive" Ukraine peace talks in Florida as Zelenskyy visits France | DW News
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President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with US Envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday as part of efforts to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.

That prospective meeting in Moscow follows negotiations between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Florida on Sunday.

secretary of State Marco Rubio described the talks as productive, but said more work needs to be done.

Substantial changes have been made to an earlier 28 point plan, which was widely seen as too favorable to Russia.

Rubio stressed the aim of achieving lasting peace and to help rebuild Ukraine.

Our goal here is to end the war, but it's more than just to end the war.

We also want to help Ukraine be safe forever so never again will they face another invasion.

And equally importantly, we want them to enter an age of true prosperity.

We want the Ukrainian people to emerge from this war not just to rebuild their country, but

to build it back in a way that will be stronger and more prosperous than it's ever been.

And so this is comprehensive, what we're working on here today.

It's not just about the terms that ends fighting.

It's about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long term prosperity.

I thought we started laying the groundwork for that, most certainly in Geneva.

I think we continued that work in our communications throughout the week.

There are a lot of moving parts and obviously there's another party involved here that will have to be a part of the equation.

And that will continue later this week when Mr. Woodkop travels to Moscow.

She's a research fellow at the foundation for Defense of Democracy's Russia program and joins us now.

Ivana, the Florida talks have been called productive.

Were there any key concessions made from the original 28 point plan?

I think it's too early to speculate anything.

Rubio's remarks where he's talking, that, you know, ending the war itself is not enough, that it's very important to think in the long term to talk about prosperity in Ukraine, that Ukraine is safe for a very long time.

It tells me all I really need to know, that the 28 point plan that was originally discussed is not anymore in talks.

Actually, I do believe that all those remarks related to territory concessions will not work.

I also think that the United States will revisit the whole concept about Ukraine joining NATO and there might be some disagreements on putting on putting the limits on the Ukrainian military.

But as I said, I think it's very important not to make any speculations right now, but

only to do analysis based on what we know right now.

But the most important thing will be this week further discussions in Moscow.

Now, US Sources say that nine points were cut post Geneva.

What does that mean for the amnesty clause, for example, on NATO restrictions?

As I said, you know, I think it's very important to wait for the final document.

But Washington absolutely understands that the 28 point plan will not work with Ukraine.

And that's absolutely ridiculous to push for that because Ukraine will not agree on surrendering territory that is not even occupied by Russia.

Ukraine is not willing to give up its NATO, joining NATO, but also the eu.

I think what's very important right now to focus on is how to provide Ukraine with security guarantees.

But not only that are just strong in words.

We really have to make sure once it happens that Putin will try to cross our red lines and whether we'll be willing to follow through on that.

Now, Trump has praised Kushner and Rubio's teamwork, but Zelensky turns to Europe.

Now, is Washington, Washington losing Ukraine's trust?

So you are absolutely right that President Trump has praised this particular meeting as he's thinking that things are moving in the direction.

I don't think that Washington is going to abandon Ukraine.

There are a lot of things that President Trump is saying.

But I think it's very important to focus also on what he is doing.

And our center of gravity is our alliances.

And that's why it's precisely very important that Europe and the United States work together.

I think, you know that it's very important for Zelenskyy to meet with European officials, including Macron, because Europe, especially Germany, France and the UK should take the lead there when it comes to security guarantees and when it comes to protection of Ukraine.

One thing that President Trump does not understand fully is that Russia is already at war with the West.

What's happening, sabotage activities across Europe, whether cutting sea cables, whether drone incursion, this is a new generation of warfare.

And right now, both Germany and France and UK Understand perfectly this.

And that's precisely why they are trying to sort this thing out.

Unfortunately, the United States is stretched out to so many different areas.

What's happening in the Middle East, China threat, what's happening right now in Venezuela.

So we really have to also be focused and to understand here in Washington that Russia's aggressive war In Ukraine, it's not only against Ukraine, it's truly against the west and United States as well, because Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are working together to undermine the West.

And the sooner Washington understands this, the better.

Now, you've mentioned that one needs to differentiate between what Trump says and what he does.

Now, if Moscow rejects tweaks, will Trump use sanctions or let Putin dictate terms?

If Russia rejects, I am quite certain that Putin will reject.

And because Putin is the one who know, who believes that he can ask all those maximalist demands.

And that's why he precisely was pushing for that 28 point agreement.

So actually he wanted Zelensky to reject this.

So portray Zelensky as an unreliable party.

And I think this is going to be a huge test for the United States and Europe.

I think President Trump should pursue further sanctions and should send a very, very clear message to Moscow that if Putin doesn't stop this war, that our long range missiles will be on the horizon to provide Ukraine, so Russia will be on the defensive.

Ivana Stradner there, a research fellow at the foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

Meanwhile in Paris, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to shore up European support.

Macron's office said the leaders will discuss what it called the conditions of a just and durable peace.

This is Zelensky's second visit to Paris in recent weeks.

For more, let's bring in our Paris correspondent, Lisa Lewis.

Lisa, this is Zelenskyy's second visit within two weeks with the aim to move negotiations forward.

Remind us, what role does France really play here?

President Emmanuel Macron is very much at the forefront of this European show of support for Ukraine.

This is actually the 10th visit by President Zelensky since the start of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Europeans want to show that they stand united with Ukraine.

That country has long since turned into Europe's front, you know, the front line in this war with Russia, especially as a number of European countries have been hit by so called hybrid attacks, airspace violations, incidents with trains, but

And that's why a number of European countries have put in place again military service such as France last week that announced a voluntary military service destined to gear up the ranks of its military personnel by tens of thousands of soldiers in over the next decade.

by extension the EU position How do they position themselves to stay relevant in this peace process?

It's very difficult for the Europeans to stay relevant.

They know that Russia very much wants to talk to only the US directly and sideline Europe and even Ukraine.

But they have been managing to keep the conversation going to get into those closed doors with some kind of success.

When you look at the current police plan that is on the table in its initial version, for example, there is no talks of any, you know, NATO troops in or there was actually a ban on NATO troops in Ukraine and now that has turned into some kind of Western troops, Western troops that shouldn't be stationed there in the long run.

So somehow the European Union is getting a place at the table, even if it's very difficult to maintain that place.

Now France wants a central role in delivering security guarantees to Ukraine.

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"Productive" Ukraine peace talks in Florida as Zelenskyy visits France | DW News

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