Paris (AFP) - President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday sought to reinforce European support for Ukraine at a potentially pivotal moment in Kyiv’s battle against the Russian invasion, meeting President Emmanuel Macron in Paris as Washington pushed a plan to end the war.

Over three-and-a-half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour, an AFP analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) showed the Russian army made its biggest advance in Ukraine for a year in November.

The plan to end the war is championed by US President Donald Trump but European countries fear it risks forcing Kyiv to cave in to Russian demands, notably on territory.

The situation has been further complicated by a corruption scandal that has rocked Zelensky’s inner circle and forced the dismissal last week of his top negotiator and chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

US and Ukrainian negotiators held hours of what both sides called “productive” talks in Florida on Sunday, with Trump declaring on Air Force One “there’s a good chance we can make a deal”.

Amid a flurry of American-led diplomacy, US envoy Steve Witkoff is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.

But he first held a new meeting with Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov, the country’s security council secretary, in Florida, senior sources familiar with the matter told AFP, adding “there are still questions” on the US plan.

“We managed to achieve significant progress, although certain issues require further refinement,” said Umerov.

The sources said Zelensky “expects to see Umerov in Ireland” during a visit on Tuesday to hear a detailed report on the Florida talks.

Zelensky and Macron also spoke by telephone to Witkoff and Umerov in Florida, the Elysee said.

“We share the view that the war must be brought to a fair end,” Zelensky wrote on X after the talks which also included phone conversations with other European leaders including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Macron and Zelensky were due to hold a joint news conference in Paris.

- ‘Extremely difficult situation’ -

Washington put forward an initial 28-point proposal to halt the war, drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies and regarded as too close a reflection of Moscow’s maximalist demands on Ukrainian territory.

It would have seen Kyiv withdraw from territory it still controls in its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.

After talks in Geneva just over a week ago, the United States updated the original blueprint following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but the current contents remain unclear.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed concern over the planned Putin-Witkoff meeting, saying it risked ramping up pressure on Ukraine to make concessions.

“I am afraid that all the pressure will be put on the weaker side, because that is the easier way to stop this war when Ukraine surrenders,” Kallas said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meanwhile made clear his belief there should be no “dictated peace” for Ukraine.

In an article for Britain’s Telegraph newspaper published at the weekend, Ukraine’s former armed forces chief Valery Zaluzhny offered a downbeat assessment of Ukraine’s predicament, saying that “we are in an extremely difficult situation, where a rushed peace will only lead to a devastating defeat and loss of independence”.

- Biggest advance since November 2024 -

The diplomatic push comes as the war – which has killed tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel and displaced millions of Ukrainians – shows no sign of easing.

A Russian missile attack killed four people and wounded nearly two dozen others on Monday in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, the governor of the region said.

Local officials released images of the aftermath showing emergency services responding at the scene, cars destroyed and buildings with their windows blown out.

During November, Russia captured 701 square kilometres (270 square miles), the second-largest territorial advance of the war after that of November 2024 – not taking into account the initial months of the invasion when the front line was highly mobile, the AFP analysis of data from the ISW showed.

By the end of November, the Russian army controlled, fully or partially, 19.3 percent of Ukrainian territory, according to the analysis of data from ISW, which works with the Critical Threats Project.

burs-sjw/as/gv