US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy to Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, are set to visit Paris to discuss the war in Ukraine and other topics of mutual interest with French officials, according to Politico.

The US is exploring ways with France to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

Rubio is expected to meet with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, while Witkoff, a former real estate investor without diplomatic experience, will meet with President Emmanuel Macron.

Discussions will focus on potential paths to cease Russian hostilities in Ukraine, as well as other topics such as Iran and US import tariffs.

Macron, who leads European efforts to provide security guarantees to Ukraine post-conflict, is a key player in these discussions.

The discussion between Macron and Witkoff comes just days after the envoy met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible ceasefire, as Russian-American negotiations have stalled in recent weeks.

A White House spokesperson described the Moscow meeting as “another step in the ceasefire negotiation process,” despite Trump’s “frustration.”

Following this meeting, one of the deadliest Russian attacks on Ukraine occurred. On Palm Sunday, April 13, Russia launched a missile strike on Sumy, resulting in at least 35 fatalities and 119 injuries.

Ironically, while reflecting on his meeting with Putin in a Fox News interview, Witkoff stated that the discussions offered potential for “reformatting” Russian-American relations and that Vladimir Putin is open to an agreement for “permanent peace” with Ukraine.