Top U.S. Officials Meet Macron in Paris for Talks on Ukraine and Iran

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are currently in Paris for high-level discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot at the Élysée Palace. The talks focus on strengthening Euro-American coordination, particularly in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

President Macron is expected to push for greater alignment between the U.S. and Europe not only on the Russo-Ukrainian conflict but also on broader Middle East challenges. European officials — especially from the E3 bloc — have voiced frustration over being excluded from current U.S.-led negotiations with Iran. With a second round of nuclear talks scheduled for this Saturday in Rome, Macron is also expected to advocate for a unified transatlantic strategy addressing both Iran and the conflict in Gaza.