Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the US president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are set to travel to Paris to participate in high-level talks on security guarantees for Ukraine, beginning on Tuesday, according to a White House official.
The talks will gather leaders and representatives from around 30 countries, members of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” which aims to establish security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a future peace agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated earlier that the meeting would focus on finalizing the details of the guarantees, emphasizing that any agreement reached would require ratification by the national parliaments of participating states.
A central issue under discussion is whether coalition members are prepared to deploy troops inside Ukraine or in its immediate vicinity, as well as the mandate of any international force tasked with overseeing a ceasefire.
Russia has repeatedly warned that it will not accept the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory, stating that such forces would be treated as “legitimate targets.” However, Zelensky has argued that credible security guarantees must include the physical deployment of foreign troops, as Moscow is unlikely to be deterred by political assurances alone.
The Ukrainian president has also revealed that bilateral security guarantees between Kyiv and Washington are “100% agreed,” although Trump described the agreement as “closer to 95%.” A broader framework involving the United States, Ukraine, and European partners is said to be nearing completion.
Speaking after a meeting with Trump in Florida, Zelensky said the draft peace plan envisions US security guarantees lasting at least 15 years, but that he urged Trump to extend them to 30, 40, or even 50 years, citing the long duration of the conflict.
“I told him that we already have a war going on, and it has lasted nearly 15 years,” Zelensky said. “I asked that the guarantees be longer. The president said he would consider it.”
Zelensky previously confirmed that representatives of Trump’s administration would attend the Paris talks, adding that discussions could last one or two days, depending on developments.
