KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet European leaders in Paris on Thursday according to a source familiar with the planning.
The meeting represents part of an international push to broker an end to Russia’s three and a half year invasion of Ukraine.
A source confirmed the planned meeting between Zelensky and European leaders on Monday while noting that United States President Donald Trump is not expected to attend.
Security guarantees for Ukraine will serve as the main topic of discussion during the Paris talks according to the same source.
Diplomatic promotion forms another key agenda item because Russian officials continue wriggling out of efforts to end the war.
Western-backed security guarantees for Ukraine following any potential truce have dominated recent diplomatic discussions surrounding the conflict.
Kyiv specifically desires such guarantees to deter any future Russian attacks against its territory.
European leaders have publicly floated the idea of a European peacekeeping force as one potential security arrangement after the conflict ends.
President Trump has indicated that the United States could support any European peacekeeping plan without deploying American soldiers to Ukraine.
Russia has strongly pushed back against any Western peacekeeping troops operating in Ukraine.
The Kremlin stated last week that it views such discussions about peacekeeping forces negatively. – AFP
