Paris, Jan 6, (dpa/GNA) – Ukraine’s supporters meeting in Paris, on Tuesday have committed to “robust security guarantees” for Kiev once Russia’s war has ended, as a multinational force to secure the peace in the event of an agreement started to take shape.
“We all stressed our commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the United Nations Charter principles, and welcomed the progress achieved, including in the discussions between the Americans, the Ukrainians, European and other partners,” a joint declaration by the so-called Coalition of the Willing, Ukraine and the United States stated.
According to the joint declaration, the planned multinational force to secure peace between Russia and Ukraine is to be under European leadership and have a command centre in Paris. The US intends to support this force with its intelligence service and logistically.
After a ceasefire, Britain and France plan to establish military bases in Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment, said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
France could send several thousand soldiers for peacekeeping towards Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron told the broadcaster France 2 after the summit.
Despite progress, there are still unresolved issues, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Territorial issues have not been 100% resolved, Zelensky said after the meeting of Ukraine’s supporters in Paris. Ukrainian negotiators should therefore remain on the ground and continue the talks, he said.
There is now greater clarity about which country can make what contribution, Zelensky said. The coalition still needs to work on the security guarantees. The commitments should be legally binding, Zelensky said.
He expressed his gratitude that the United States is willing to participate in monitoring a ceasefire. Deterring Russia from further aggression is an important part of protecting Ukraine, Zelensky said.
Merz raises prospect of military forces to secure Ukraine peace
Germany raised the prospect of its own military involvement, in securing a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.
“This could include, for example, us registering forces for Ukraine on neighbouring NATO territory after a ceasefire,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said following the meeting in Paris.
“The nature and scope of a German contribution must and will be decided by the federal government and the German Bundestag, as soon as the conditions mentioned have been clarified,” Merz said.
“I want to say for myself and also for the federal government: We are not ruling anything out in principle.”
This could mean that even the deployment of Bundeswehr soldiers in Ukraine itself is not ruled out.
“We stand ready to commit to a system of politically and legally binding guarantees that will be activated once a ceasefire enters into force,” European Council President António Costa posted on X after the consultations.
He stated that the EU will contribute to efforts to ensure the security guarantees that Ukraine needs for any agreement for a lasting peace.
Specifically, Costa mentioned supporting Ukraine on its path to EU membership, which is also intended to secure the country’s future prosperity.
He also referred to newly planned financial aid amounting to €90 billion ($105.2 billion) for the next two years, as well as the ongoing EU training mission for the Ukrainian armed forces.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Paris meeting sent a signal of unity for Ukraine.
In September, 26 Western countries agreed to send troops to secure a ceasefire or peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The troop deployment is intended to prevent any major new aggression and contribute to the long-term security of Ukraine.
France has repeatedly made it clear that it is not about a front-line deployment, but peacekeeping from a distance.
Even after the Paris consultations, it remained unclear what the US specifically wants to contribute to maintaining peace in Ukraine. Previously, a senior US official had stated that no deployment of US ground troops was planned.
US President Donald Trump had promised months ago that there would be no deployment of US troops in Ukraine. However, the United States is ready to support the allied Europeans – for example, from the air.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said after Tuesday’s meeting that Trump wants to stand by the security guarantees promised by the US side.
“We agree with the Coalition that durable security guarantees and robust prosperity commitments are essential to a lasting peace in the Ukraine, and we will continue to work together on this effort,” Witkoff posted on X, adding that he would be continuing discussions with the Ukrainian delegation on Wednesday.
Russia strictly rejects a possible presence of foreign troops in Ukraine, especially from NATO states. Such units are considered a legitimate target for the Russian army.
From Moscow’s perspective, the Coalition of the Willing is a European project and is therefore rejected. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his leadership rely on resolving conflict issues bilaterally with Trump.
The Kremlin accuses the European states of wanting to prolong the war and being hostile to Russia.
According to the French government, representatives from more than 30 countries, as well as the EU and NATO, participated in the high-level meeting in Paris on Tuesday.
The Coalition of the Willing is a group of Western countries allied with Kiev, that are working to end the conflict.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kiev has been defending itself largely with Western support.
GNA