Two of President Donald Trump's top national security aides plan to hold talks in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday as the United States and Europe search for common ground on ending the Ukraine war and averting an Iran conflict.
French government spokesperson Sophie Primas told reporters on Wednesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff would visit France soon.
Primas added that they would broadly discuss issues in the Middle East with French officials, saying: "All subjects regarding the Middle East will be on the table."
Separately, on Thursday, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu will travel to Washington to meet with his counterpart, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as with Keith Kellogg, Trump's Ukraine envoy, and Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, the ministry said.
The two advisers, , are expected to hear European concerns about Russia amid U.S. attempts to arrange an elusive ceasefire in Ukraine three years after Russia invaded its neighbor.
Trump's frustration with Russia and Ukraine over the ongoing bloodshed between them has been growing and he has been threatening military action against Iranian nuclear facilities.
European leaders have grown more concerned as Trump has made diplomatic gestures to Russian President Vladimir Putin and applied pressure on Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
"I'm just trying to get it stopped so that we can save a lot of lives," Trump told reporters on Sunday.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Monday he hoped Trump and his administration would see that Putin was "mocking their goodwill" following Moscow's deadly missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy.
Besides Macron, the French foreign ministry said Rubio will also meet his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot to discuss Ukraine, prospects for a new Iran nuclear deal and the Middle East.
Witkoff plans to fly for a second round of discussions on Saturday with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi about Iran's nuclear program. They met for 45 minutes last Saturday in Oman.
Both sides described last weekend's talks as positive while acknowledging that any potential deal remains distant.
Trump said on Monday he was willing to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities if a deal was not reached.
On Tuesday, he held a meeting with top national security advisers at the White House focused on Iran's nuclear program, according to sources familiar with the encounter.
The United States had not told European countries about the nuclear talks in Oman before Trump announced them, even though they hold a key card on the possible reimposition of U.N. sanctions on Tehran. Thursday's talks will be a key opportunity for potential coordination between U.S. and Europe.
Trump has restored a "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran since February, after the U.S. leader ditched a 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six world powers during his first term and reimposed crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Trump said on Monday he believes Iran is intentionally delaying a nuclear deal with the United States and that it must abandon any drive for a nuclear weapon or face a possible military strike on Tehran's atomic facilities.
"I think they're tapping us along," Trump told reporters.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan to Washington on Tuesday for talks focused on strengthening the U.S.-UAE partnership.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned sanctions imposed by the UK, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two Israeli ministers, saying they undermine efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
The United States has announced visa restrictions on unnamed Central American government officials associated with Cuban medical missions, citing concerns over labor practices.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a call with his Russian counterpart, praised a major prisoner exchange and backed continued peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign officials who, according to the Trump administration, are complicit in censoring Americans or pressuring U.S. tech firms to silence free speech.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that U.S. strikes hit entrances to tunnels storing part of Iran’s enriched uranium at the Isfahan nuclear site.
Iranian media report Israeli air strikes and multiple air defence responses across Tehran and surrounding areas, including Karaj and Parchin, amid escalating regional tensions.
Global oil prices surged on Sunday as the Israel-Iran conflict continued to rattle markets, with Brent crude rising 3.9% to $80 per barrel and U.S. crude climbing 4.3% to $77 per barrel.
Tesla has begun a small-scale robotaxi trial in Austin, Texas, deploying about 10 self-driving cars to pick up paying passengers in a limited area, as the state enacts new regulations for autonomous vehicles.
Israel has reopened its airspace briefly and plans to expand rescue flights to help tens of thousands stranded by widespread cancellations following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers are urging Congress to limit President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran, warning against deeper U.S. involvement in the escalating Middle East conflict.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that U.S. strikes hit entrances to tunnels storing part of Iran’s enriched uranium at the Isfahan nuclear site.
Global oil prices surged on Sunday as the Israel-Iran conflict continued to rattle markets, with Brent crude rising 3.9% to $80 per barrel and U.S. crude climbing 4.3% to $77 per barrel.
Tesla has begun a small-scale robotaxi trial in Austin, Texas, deploying about 10 self-driving cars to pick up paying passengers in a limited area, as the state enacts new regulations for autonomous vehicles.
Israel has reopened its airspace briefly and plans to expand rescue flights to help tens of thousands stranded by widespread cancellations following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that U.S. strikes hit entrances to tunnels storing part of Iran’s enriched uranium at the Isfahan nuclear site.
Iranian media report Israeli air strikes and multiple air defence responses across Tehran and surrounding areas, including Karaj and Parchin, amid escalating regional tensions.
Global oil prices surged on Sunday as the Israel-Iran conflict continued to rattle markets, with Brent crude rising 3.9% to $80 per barrel and U.S. crude climbing 4.3% to $77 per barrel.
Tesla has begun a small-scale robotaxi trial in Austin, Texas, deploying about 10 self-driving cars to pick up paying passengers in a limited area, as the state enacts new regulations for autonomous vehicles.
Israel has reopened its airspace briefly and plans to expand rescue flights to help tens of thousands stranded by widespread cancellations following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
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