US and Ukraine to continue security talks after Paris meeting agrees on US-led ceasefire monitoring and a post-war European multinational force.
PARIS: US and Ukrainian officials will continue talks over security guarantees for Kyiv on Wednesday. This follows a major meeting in Paris where Western allies agreed on a US-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism and a European multinational force for after any peace deal.
The security guarantees would only take effect once a ceasefire is agreed to end the war sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Washington “for its readiness to provide a backstop in all areas”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the “robust” guarantees involve the United States leading a truce monitoring mechanism with European participation. The talks gathered representatives from 35 countries, including 27 heads of state or government.
Macron, Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a declaration of intent for Britain, France and other European allies to deploy troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire. Macron said Paris could deploy “several thousand” French troops.
The allies also agreed to establish a US-Ukraine-Coalition coordination cell in Paris. However, a draft promise of US “support” for the European-led force in case of a new Russian attack was not in the final communique.
US envoy Steve Witkoff said “a lot of progress” had been made and that allies have “largely finished” agreeing security guarantees. He stated that “land options” will be the most “critical issue” requiring compromise.
Zelensky said the talks had determined which countries would lead on security and reconstruction. He echoed that the most significant unresolved issue was “the territorial question”, referring to Russian demands over the Donbas region.
Starmer said Britain and France would establish “military hubs” across Ukraine after a ceasefire. He warned that a peace deal requires Russian President Vladimir Putin to be ready to compromise, which he is not currently showing.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said German forces could join ceasefire monitoring but would be based in a neighbouring country. He acknowledged that compromises would be necessary and “textbook diplomatic solutions” would not be achieved.
The meeting’s progress came despite recent tensions over assertive US foreign policy under President Donald Trump. Macron stated he could not imagine a scenario where the US would violate Danish sovereignty over Greenland.
