Witkoff Says Progress Made on Trump Peace Plan as Coalition Eyes Lasting Ceasefire

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Senior U.S. envoys and key European allies met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Tuesday as part of an intensified diplomatic push to forge security guarantees that could underpin any future ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine, now approaching its fourth year.

U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the meetings marked tangible progress toward advancing President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine. In a post on X, Witkoff said the U.S. delegation met with members of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” and Ukrainian officials to align positions on security and post-war reconstruction.

“Today, the U.S. delegation met in Paris with the constituents of the Coalition of the Willing as well as the Ukrainian delegation to advance President Trump’s peace plan on Ukraine,” Witkoff wrote, adding that talks were “encouraged by the collaborative approach and partnership between the parties.”

The U.S. delegation included Witkoff, Jared Kushner, General Alex Grynkewich, Ambassador Charles Kushner, and White House adviser Josh Gruenbaum. According to Witkoff, the group held multiple meetings with European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as with Zelensky and his team.

“We have made significant progress on several critical workstreams, including our bilateral security guarantee framework and a prosperity plan,” Witkoff said. He added that the Coalition of the Willing released a statement outlining its own approach to security guarantees, noting broad agreement that “durable security guarantees and robust prosperity commitments are essential to a lasting peace in Ukraine.”

Witkoff said discussions with the Ukrainian delegation would continue on Wednesday, expressing hope for “additional positive momentum in the near future.”

The Paris talks come despite the absence of any meaningful slowdown in fighting, in what remains Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. Representatives from 35 countries, including 27 heads of state and government, gathered in the French capital in an effort to synchronize Washington, Kyiv, and European partners around a shared vision for ending the war.

The French presidency said the discussions are intended to demonstrate unity on security guarantees for Ukraine, including mechanisms to respond to potential violations of any future ceasefire. Zelensky arrived in Paris ahead of the meetings, his office confirmed.

Alongside the U.S. delegation, the talks brought together Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Macron also held early-morning bilateral talks with Carney before hosting Zelensky and the American delegation at the Élysée Palace.

Some members of the coalition are advocating for the deployment of a multinational force in Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression if a political settlement is reached. Moscow has repeatedly rejected any NATO or NATO-linked military presence on Ukrainian territory, even in a limited monitoring role, framing such proposals as unacceptable.

Despite these divisions, diplomats involved in the Paris meetings described the talks as a renewed attempt to build a credible deterrence and security architecture for Ukraine, while keeping diplomatic channels open toward a negotiated end to the war.

As discussions continue, U.S. and European officials say the focus remains on translating political consensus into enforceable guarantees that could sustain a ceasefire—and ultimately support a durable peace.