The “E3” coalition of Britain, France, and Germany is now involved in the negotiations for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. They are set to meet again in London next week with their US counterparts following a meeting between President Donald Trump’s envoys and European foreign ministers regarding ceasefire discussions. Initially, Europe was sidelined from the negotiations, which took place in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere without its involvement. On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced this development after a meeting hosted by France that included German, British, and US foreign ministers, along with Trump’s associate Steve Witkoff and a Ukrainian delegation. He stated, “What’s new is that the United States, Ukraine, and the Europeans met around the same table.” A top advisor to President Emmanuel Macron of France mentioned after discussions at the Élysée Palace on Thursday, “The E3 are present and our approach is driven by a European vision. What matters is that we have initiated a constructive process in Paris today that involves Europe.” The US State Department announced that Marco Rubio, who served as Trump’s Secretary of State, had a conversation with his Russian equivalent, Sergei Lavrov.
