Sybiha and Rubio discuss peace efforts and Ukraine’s defence needs in Paris
Ukraine’s foreign minister said his talks with the US secretary of state covered diplomacy, Black Sea navigation, humanitarian efforts and potential security and economic cooperation.
By Hassan Ellis ·
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Paris for talks on American-led peace efforts, developments on the battlefield and international affairs. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry press service provided details of the discussion, as reported by European Pravda.
In his account of the meeting, Sybiha stressed the importance of pursuing diplomatic opportunities alongside the discussion of the battlefield situation. “We must seize every opportunity for diplomacy and de-escalation,” he said, describing an agenda that included both peace efforts and Ukraine’s security needs.
Sybiha thanked the United States for its engagement. He also expressed particular gratitude to US First Lady Melania Trump for lives saved through what the ministry’s account described as a successful humanitarian operation in Oleshky. The operation was among the subjects highlighted in his account of the talks.
The two officials also addressed conditions in the Black Sea. Their discussion covered the need to restore freedom of navigation and its importance for global food security, bringing maritime issues into a meeting that also dealt with diplomacy, defence and economic cooperation.
On bilateral relations, Sybiha said Ukraine was prepared to develop cooperation with the United States in both security and the economy on mutually beneficial terms. He identified joint drone production and prospective economic projects as areas in which Ukraine was ready to work with Washington.
The meeting also covered strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities. Air defence and resilience ahead of winter were part of that discussion, according to the ministry’s account. These subjects featured alongside the broader exchanges on US-led peace efforts and the situation on the battlefield.
Sybiha renewed his invitation for Rubio to visit Ukraine. The invitation accompanied his message that Kyiv was ready to pursue further security and economic cooperation with the United States, including the drone production and economic projects he raised during their conversation.
Before meeting Rubio, Sybiha had held talks in Paris with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The French capital was hosting a gathering of Group of Seven foreign ministers. A separate meeting of the G7 foreign ministers devoted to supporting Ukraine had also been reported as scheduled for November 10.
