Two top US officials are set to visit Paris on Thursday, April 17, to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss two key priorities of US foreign policy: ending the war in Ukraine and resolving tensions with Iran, according to Reuters.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will listen to European concerns over Russia during the meeting. While former President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, he has also threatened military action to halt Iran’s nuclear activities.
European leaders remain deeply concerned about Trump’s approach, especially as he pressures Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while appearing increasingly close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After the Paris meeting, Steve Witkoff will travel to Rome on Saturday for a second round of talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. A brief meeting was previously held in Oman. Although both sides described last week’s discussions as positive, a formal agreement is still far off.
Trump warned on Monday that, if no agreement is reached, he may order an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The following day, he met with top national security advisors at the White House to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. The White House did not inform European countries about the Oman meeting in advance, making Thursday’s Paris talks even more significant.
Trump has maintained a hardline stance against Iran. During his first term, he withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement involving Iran and five world powers. In his second term, he has continued this approach, applying a “maximum pressure” policy against Iran since February, including new sanctions.
Trump believes there are only two ways to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions: either through a new agreement or by forcing them to yield through military pressure.