Top Trump officials Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff to hold talks with European allies on Russia-Ukraine conflict
Top officials in the Trump administration are set to hold talks with Europeans on the Russia-Ukraine war.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff - Trump's special envoy - will travel to Paris this week to meet European allies.
The intention of the trip is to discuss US efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Mr Rubio and Mr Witkoff will be in Paris on Thursday, according to the State Department.
Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the officials will have “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed".
Mr Rubio will “discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region".
French President Emmanuel Macron's office says Macron will meet Mr Rubio and Mr Witkoff.
There will also likely be talks held with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on the conflict in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear programme.
Later in the week, Vice President JD Vance will meet Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
She is scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday.
The talks come as concerns grow regarding Trump's preparedness to strengthen ties with Russia as the US attempts to broker a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine.
There is also growing concern about the Trump administration's decisions on tariffs, NATO and Greenland.
More than three years after Russia started the war, Mr Rubio and Mr Witkoff have helped lead the US' attempts to forge peace.
Several negotiation talks have been hosted in Saudia Arabia.
Just last week, Mr Witkoff met Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Last month, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to start a 30-day pause on strikes on energy facilities.
However, Russia has maintained daily strikes.
Moscow and Kyiv haven't agreed to the start time for stopping strikes all together.
Moscow has refused to submit to a 'comprehensive ceasefire' - despite encouragement from Trump and Ukraine.
Russia has made the ceasefire conditional on a pause in Ukraine's mobilisation efforts and Western arms supplies.
Ukraine has rejected such demands.