Rubio headed to Paris for Ukraine war talks
PARIS
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio headed to Paris on Wednesday for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, his office said.
The State Department said in a communique that Rubio is traveling with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff for talks with European officials on advancing President Donald Trump's goal of ending the war triggered by the Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbor in 2022.
Trump's push for a ceasefire in the war has yet to yield fruit, and a Russian missile strike on April 13 in the Ukrainian city of Sumy that killed at least 35 people showed how the war is far from over, even as peace overtures are under way.
Witkoff said on April 14, three days after holding his third meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that he himself sees a peace deal "emerging."
The Paris talks will follow NATO chief Mark Rutte's visit to Ukraine's port city of Odesa, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky .
The alliance's support for Ukraine remains “unwavering,” he said on April 15, emphasizing that more than $22 billion in security assistance has already been pledged by allies in the first three months of the year.
His visit came days after two Russian ballistic missiles struck the city of Sumy, killing at least 35 people, including two children, and injuring 119.
The attack on the northeastern city, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Ukraine’s border with Russia, marked the second large-scale attack in just over a week to result in significant civilian casualties.
Earlier this month, about 20 people were killed, including nine children, after a Russian ballistic missile struck Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih on April 4.
“I’m here today because I believe Ukraine’s people deserve real peace, real safety and security in their country, in their homes,” Rutte said during a joint news conference with Zelensky. The two met with wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a hospital in Odesa.
