Sawt Falasteen - Kyiv's Europe allies seek influence with US in Paris talks

The talks come as Donald Trump's push to end three years of fighting has yet to bear fruit, with the US president expressing frustration over Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to agree to a complete and unconditional truce.

Top Ukrainian officials were also in the French capital to talk with European and US delegations, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US envoy Steve Witkoff and French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a lunchtime meeting at Macron's palace, which comes days after Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier Thursday, Zelensky urged the allies meeting in Paris to lean on Russia to agree to a ceasefire.

- 'Pressure on the killers' -

"Russia uses every day and every night to kill. We must put pressure on the killers... to end this war and guarantee a lasting peace," Zelensky said in a Telegram post.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Paris meeting.

"Unfortunately we see from Europeans a focus on continuing the war," he said.

Russia's top economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said certain countries were trying to "derail" Moscow's talks with the United States.

Witkoff and Rubio were later to meet Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, as well as Britain's and Germany's national security advisors, the French presidency said.

Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, had arrived in Paris mid-morning with Rubio.

Despite a series of diplomatic efforts, Russia has continued to strike Ukraine.

Russian drone strikes and shelling in killed at least 10 people on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said, just days after a Russian attack killed at least 35 people in the northeastern city of Sumy.

Macron has taken the lead in seeking to forge a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine, both during the current conflict and in its eventual aftermath after Trump shocked the world by opening direct talks with Russia.

Britain and France are spearheading discussions among a "coalition of the willing" of 30 countries looking to shore up any deal Trump might strike with a "reassurance force".

- 'Review progress' -

On Thursday, Macron's office said the purpose of the Paris talks was to "review progress on peace negotiations aimed at ending the Russian aggression in Ukraine".

Yermak said Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga as well as Defence Minister Rustem Umerov were in Paris for the meetings.

The talks were to focus on a potential full ceasefire, the involvement of international peacekeepers and the development of Ukraine's security framework, Ukraine's foreign ministry said.

The German foreign ministry said government security advisor Jens Ploetner would participate in the Paris talks.

Witkoff said this week that Putin was open to "permanent peace", after talks with the Kremlin chief in Saint Petersburg, their third meeting since Trump returned to the White House.

Witkoff said during a Fox News interview broadcast Monday that he saw a peace deal "emerging".

Zelensky said on Wednesday that negotiators were making "good progress" with the United States in fraught talks over a minerals deal intended to secure desperately needed US support.

Putin last month rejected a US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire, after Kyiv gave its backing to the idea.

He also suggested Zelensky be removed from office, sparking an angry response from Trump who said he was "very angry, pissed off" with the Russian leader.

The Paris talks come after discussions between the United States and Iran on Tehran's nuclear programme in Oman last weekend.

Another round is scheduled for Saturday, in Italy.

A French diplomatic source said Rubio and France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot would discuss "the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear file".

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B.Mahmoud--SF-PST