US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would hold talks in Paris on Tuesday after a Washington-based non-governmental organisation was hit by an Israeli airstrike in the central part of Gaza, Reuters reported.
Blinken will then travel to Brussels for a NATO ministerial meeting on Wednesday. He will be accompanied by Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu during a visit to a weapons factory supplying howitzer guns to Ukraine. Afterwards, he will meet with Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné and President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron has taken a firmer stance amid fears that Ukraine is losing support in the war, especially as the United States struggles to approve a multi-billion dollar military aid package to Kyiv.
Even though Ukraine is expected to be at the top of the agenda, events in the Middle East are also likely to take centre stage following the Gaza Strip Israeli strike that killed World Central Kitchen staff.
Alleged Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike on Iran’s embassy in Syria on Monday. Seven of Iran’s military advisers, including three senior commanders, were killed as a result, Iran stated.
On Monday, France proposed a draft UN Security Council resolution examining options for possible UN monitoring of the Gaza ceasefire and proposals to help the Palestinian Authority assume responsibility.
Last month, the United States abstained in a vote to call for an immediate ceasefire during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which would end the coming week.
