Zelenskyy says U.S. will join Paris talks on security push

Article content U.S. negotiators will join European leaders in Paris on Tuesday in the latest effort to hash out post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Article content 'The focus will be on security guarantees for Ukraine, and recovery. There will be also meetings with the team of President Trump,' Zelenskyy said, adding that the talks could last a day or two. Ukraine hopes to set up a meeting in the U.S. at the leaders' level by the end of January, he added. Article content Article content Article content Article content More than a dozen NSAs from European countries, Canada, and the offices of the European Council, European Commission and NATO held talks focused on three tracks as part of the global effort to end Russia's war in Ukraine — a basic peace framework, security guarantees, and economic reconstruction. Article content U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, attended the discussions online. Article content Zelenskyy earlier on Saturday said he plans to offer Denys Shmyhal, until this week Ukraine's defense minister, the post of energy minister and first deputy prime minister. Article content More rotations of personnel in the defense and law enforcement segments are expected to continue in pursuit of an end to the war, Zelenskyy said. Article content Article content For example, Friday's appointment of former spy chief Kyrylo Budanov as chief of staff would strengthen the Ukrainian negotiation track, he said, adding that Sergiy Kyslytsya, a well respected and experienced diplomat who's currently first deputy foreign minister, will be Budanov's deputy. Article content Vasyl Maliuk, who leads Ukraine's security service and earned his reputation for daring tactics like Operation Spiderweb, when Ukrainian drones destroyed Russian jets, will also be replaced soon, according to media reports. Article content Speaking of the economic track at Saturday's talks, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said Ukraine estimates a 10-year rebuilding effort toward sustainable growth would cost some $800 billion. Article content 'We aim to mobilize these resources through public capital, grants and loans, as well as private investment in infrastructure, energy, industry, and human capital development,' she said on X.