Top Ukrainian diplomat meets French counterpart, US secretary of state in Paris amid G7 meeting

• Andrii Sybiha also met with Marco Rubio in Paris, saying he reaffirmed strength of strategic partnership between Washington, Kyiv during talks

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Paris on Thursday amid a two-day G7 ministerial meeting that began Monday.

In a statement on US social media platform X following talks with Barrot, Sybiha thanked his French counterpart for the warm welcome and for placing Kyiv at the center of the agenda, including through a session dedicated to Ukraine.

“France’s leadership at this crucial moment truly matters,” Sybiha said, noting that he informed Barrot about the frontline situation in Ukraine, as well as peace efforts and international developments.

Sybiha said they covered the full range of priorities during their talks in Paris, ranging from energy resilience to defense support and sanctions against Russia.

“We especially value the efforts that helped mobilise support for Ukraine’s energy security this winter and count on continued coordination to strengthen our air defense,” he added.

Barrot has yet to comment on his meeting with the Ukrainian foreign minister.

Sybiha later announced that he held a meeting with the US secretary of state, during which he said he reaffirmed the strength of the strategic partnership between Washington and Kyiv.

“Our talks focused on US-led peace efforts, the battlefield situation, and international developments. We must seize every opportunity for diplomacy and de-escalation,” Sybiha said, expressing Kyiv’s gratitude to the US for its engagement in the context of the six-day ceasefire observed until Nov. 1 in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.

Sybiha said they also discussed the Black Sea and the “need to restore freedom of navigation there for the sake of global food security,” stating Kyiv’s readiness to develop mutually beneficial security and economic cooperation with the US, including joint drone production.

“We discussed the strengthening of Ukraine’s defense capabilities, air defense, and resilience ahead of winter. I reiterated my invitation to the Secretary to visit Ukraine,” he added.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced Monday that Sybiha would embark on a two-day visit to Paris, where he would take part in a G7 ministerial session focused on support for Ukraine and hold a series of bilateral talks, including with Rubio.

It said Ukraine’s top diplomat would brief allies on the situation on the battlefield, the consequences of Russian strikes and Ukraine’s priority needs regarding defense capabilities and preparations ahead of winter.

“The minister will also coordinate positions with G7 nations regarding peace efforts,” it said, adding that the meeting would focus on “steps toward de-escalation and achieving peace, strengthening the protection of Ukrainian skies, exerting pressure on the aggressor, ensuring global food security, and upholding freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.”