Leaders from more than 30 countries gathered in Paris on Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen Ukraine’s position, both on and off the battlefield. They promised new aid for Kyiv and examined proposals for deploying European forces to Ukraine, should any peace agreement be reached.
After the “Coalition of Will” summit — which did not include the United States — French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the leaders gathered in Paris were more united than ever on Ukraine and emphasized the need to ensure the opposition to Russia’s efforts to delay peace talks with the goal of gaining more territory.
“Our goal is clear,” said Macron in a press conference after the summit.
“The aim is to achieve peace, and in order to do that, we must put Ukraine in the best possible position,” he stressed.
The French president announced that the foreign ministers of the coalition member countries would examine the legal issues regarding the possibility of deploying a European-led security force to support a ceasefire, and will report their findings within three weeks.
“There will be a security force that will operate in Ukraine, represented by several countries,” said Macron.
“It is not Russia that can decide whether a security force can be deployed in Ukraine,” he added firmly.
Macron acknowledged that there is currently no full consensus on sending a European force to Ukraine, and that not all members are in agreement to participate. However, he emphasized that unanimity is not required to move forward with this initiative.
