U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy tasked with ending the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, are expected to travel to Paris later this week, according to two people familiar with preparations for the trip.
Witkoff is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron while Rubio will speak with his French counterpart, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
According to a U.S. official who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, Rubio will be in Paris this week before heading to Africa.
An official familiar with preparations for the trip said the two sides will discuss Ukraine, Iran and trade relations in the wake of Trump’s tariff threats.
Macron’s meeting with Witkoff comes only days after the envoy met Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine after Russia-U.S. talks stalled in recent weeks. The encounter in Moscow was “another step in the negotiating process towards a ceasefire” despite Trump’s “frustration,” according to the White House press secretary.
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