Key allies gather in Paris to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, aiming to align US and European positions on ending the war with Russia.
PARIS: Key Ukrainian allies are meeting with top US envoys in Paris to discuss security guarantees and advance plans to end the war with Russia.
The summit of the “Coalition of the Willing” group is part of accelerated diplomatic efforts to resolve Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
Representatives from 35 countries, including 27 heads of state, are gathering to demonstrate alignment between Washington, Kyiv and European allies.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are attending the coalition meeting launched by France and the United Kingdom.
A French presidential adviser said the meeting culminates efforts to prevent “the United States from abandoning Ukraine” after Trump’s election.
“We have succeeded in this exercise of realalignment between Ukraine, Europe and America,” the adviser told journalists.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected alongside British, German, Italian and Canadian leaders.
The leaders will commit to a shared vision of a potential Ukraine-Russia ceasefire and responses to violations.
They will also discuss deploying a multinational force to “reassure Ukraine” as part of a possible political agreement.
Security advisers from 15 countries, NATO and the EU gathered in Kyiv over the weekend to lay the groundwork.
Kyiv recently stated a deal was “90 percent” ready, though Moscow and Kyiv disagree on post-war territorial issues.
Russia, which occupies around 20% of Ukraine, seeks full control of the eastern Donbas region.
Kyiv has warned that ceding ground will embolden Moscow and refuses any peace deal that fails to deter future invasion.
