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U.S. says Paris talks could yield Russia-Ukraine progress; Rome meeting set for Saturday
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Summary
State Department spokesperson Tammy said U.S. negotiators were in Paris seeking steps to end the Russia-Ukraine fighting and confirmed a related meeting in Rome on Saturday; officials stressed they will judge parties by actions, not words, and said timelines are measured in weeks.
Tammy, State Department spokesperson, said on an on-the-record briefing that Secretary Marco Rubio, Ambassador Steve Witkoff and Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg were in Paris today to press for a path to end the Russia-Ukraine war. "The visit, which includes meetings with European partners, aims to advance the shared interests and restore stability to the region," Tammy said.
The spokeswoman confirmed an additional meeting will occur Saturday in Rome. "Yes, it's going to be in Rome on Saturday," Tammy said when pressed by reporters.
Tammy repeated that the United States will evaluate parties by their conduct rather than statements: "We are going to judge people based on their actions, not their words." She said U.S. officials expect developments on a timeline measured in weeks but declined to provide negotiators' specific benchmarks or to describe private diplomatic conversations.
Reporters asked for more detail about what constitutes adequate progress and whether the administration has a contingency plan if Russia is not serious. Tammy declined to describe specific decision thresholds or private diplomatic lines, saying those determinations are for the negotiators at the table. "That's why you go and you meet people face to face or you have conversations, and that's what we're doing," she said.
The briefing tied the diplomatic push to an administration standard that the United States and its partners will assess by observable steps on ceasefire and related commitments. Tammy said public statements from other governments — including positive descriptions from French officials — are welcome but that what matters to the U.S. is whether President Trump's expectations are met.
The spokesperson said the State Department planned to issue additional statements as events warranted and that a public readout could arrive "very early, perhaps Eastern Time" the following morning, but she cautioned that circumstances can change rapidly and she did not promise an exact time for any announcement.
Ending: The State Department said it would provide updates as negotiators report results; Tammy closed by asking reporters to await any on-the-record statements from the secretary or his team.
