U.S. envoy Witkoff meets European leaders on Ukraine security

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with European leaders in Paris on Thursday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

The envoy, named by U.S. President Donald Trump to mediate peace talks, also plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an official in Ukraine's presidency said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose information to media.

Witkoff was invited to participate in the so-called “coalition of the willing ” meeting to discuss aid for Ukraine, including sketching out plans for military support in the event of a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war to deter future Russian aggression.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who lead the group, have insisted that any European “reassurance” force in Ukraine needs the backing of the United States.

In a policy shift earlier this month, the U.S. sent positive signals over its readiness to support security guarantees for Ukraine that resemble NATO’s collective defense mandate, Zelenskyy said. However, it is unclear what that support would look like in practice. Ukraine is hoping for continued U.S. intelligence sharing and air support.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Russia fired 112 strike and decoy drones across the country overnight Thursday, according to Ukraine's Air Force morning report. Air defenses intercepted or jammed 84 drones, the statement said.