French and U.S. top diplomats discuss ways to step up pressure on Russia

On Tuesday evening, ahead of the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot held a phone call with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to discuss ways of increasing pressure on Russia.

French diplomatic sources informed Ukrinform’s correspondent about the conversation.

“At a time when Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to end the war, the ministers discussed various options for strengthening pressure on Russia,” the source emphasized.

Barrot and Rubio also highlighted the strong coordination within the coalition, ahead of a new hybrid-format summit convened by the French President.

On Thursday, the meeting will bring together European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Denmark.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected to take part, following his Wednesday meeting in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris on Thursday will focus on the consequences of Vladimir Putin’s rejection of U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand to engage in peace talks with the President of Ukraine, as well as on Russia’s consolidation of support in China.

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