Crucial talks for the future of Ukraine? Diplomacy moves between Paris, Brussels and Munich

Key meetings on Ukraine’s future begin today, with attacks on Kiev and new international diplomatic moves

Talks on Ukraine’s future get into full swing today with a series of crucial meetings between Munich, Brussels and Paris. While new Russian attacks in Kiev left one dead and four injured, with blackouts in some neighbourhoods, international diplomacy continues to focus on European security and the conflict in Ukraine.

A Round Table on Strengthening Security in Europe, with the participation of the foreign ministers of Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Poland, as well as representatives of Great Britain and Ukraine, will take place in the French capital Paris in the Weimar Plus format. The meeting was preceded by a summit on artificial intelligence, attended by US Vice President Jd Vance, marking the first direct contact with the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, in Brussels, anticipation is high for the first attendance of the new Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting. This will also be the first meeting chaired by the UK, which has taken the baton from the US, consolidating the European role in the management of the conflict. ‘NATO must be a stronger and more lethal force, not a diplomatic club,’ said Hegseth, emphasising US determination to strengthen the Atlantic Alliance.

The Paris and Brussels meetings anticipate the Munich Security Conference, which will be held from tomorrow to Sunday and will be attended by top US government officials, including Vance himself and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In Munich, the G7 foreign ministers will discuss strategies for the future of Ukraine, with the Kiev and Washington negotiating teams working to prepare for the long-awaited face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Meanwhile, in Kiev, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other American officials are expected to discuss hot topics, including Trump’s request to receive rare earths from Ukraine in exchange for military assistance and reconstruction, and Zelensky’s proposal to exchange territories with Russia. In an interview with the Guardian, the Ukrainian president stated that he is ready to cede some areas under Ukrainian control, such as those in Kursk, but stressed that there are no priorities among the territories.

As the third anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches, Trump’s diplomat for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, recently visited Moscow, where he brought home Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia since 2021. Although it is unclear whether this visit had a direct impact on the war in Ukraine, Trump indicated that it could be the beginning of a change in negotiations.

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