U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff surprisingly attended the Friends of Ukraine summit in Paris despite not being initially listed on official credentials.
U.S. Envoy Joins Summit Demi-glace
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrived at the Elysée Palace in Paris and participated in the opening of the Friends of Ukraine summit, just an hour before it began. The diplomatic representative reportedly had planned official business elsewhere that required his presence.
Understanding the Situation
Witkoff attended the first part of the summit but left after approximately 30 minutes. The situation was clarified by the French presidential office, who explained that he had prior commitments.
Summit Agenda and Purpose
The summit, planned for approximately three hours, is being held in a hybrid format. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been in Paris since yesterday and met initially with French President Emmanuel Macron prior to the summit. The summit includes not only the leaders of Ukraine and Poland but also leaders from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands, as well as representatives of the EU. Other heads of government and state will join via video conference. The Elysée Palace, in a statement, emphasized that the Friends of Ukraine will discuss technical progress on security guarantees for Ukraine and will also address Russia’s stance, which reportedly “stubbornly refuses to conclude peace.”
