President Emmanuel Macron in France promised Thursday that a “coalition of the will” would continue to support Ukraine in the war against Russia and would have contributed to safeguarding any peace, including, for some European countries, sending a “reassurance force” to Ukrainian soil after the end of the conflict.
But Mr. Macron, who spoke at the end of a rally of European leaders in Paris, said that the contours of that force were still resolved and the details of those who were willing to do what to give the Ukrainian security guarantees were still scarce.
This aggravated to a sense of darkness around diplomatic efforts to stop fighting, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Even if the leaders met, Russia had to face the accusations that was developing the negotiations mediated by the United States in Saudi Arabia to obtain the upper hand. And it is an open question what the role the United States would be willing to play to support European force in Ukraine.
“We have to accelerate the discussions to get a ceasefire, we must accelerate our ability to finance and deliver weapons and prepare plans for the Ukrainian army and reassurance force,” Macron said at a press conference after the meeting.
But after three hours of discussions in Paris, Great Britain and France were still the only countries that engaged in the idea. Russia called it unacceptable.
Speaking during a briefing with journalists on Thursday, Maria V. Zakharova, spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, defined this mission “military intervention in Ukraine under the remains of a peace maintenance mission”.
“It could lead to a direct military clash between Russia and NATO,” he added.
Macron said that any European force would not be at the forefront of the conflict and would not have the task of monitoring or enforcing a ceased. That work, he suggested, could fall into Peacekeeper of the United Nations or other independent monitors, while European troops would have based farthest from the front to discourage Russia. Europeans would also help to train and support Ukrainian forces.
Macron recognized that leaders had not found “unanimity” on a reassurance force. Italy wants to send troops to the ground only if they are part of a Mission of the United Nations, while Poland has fully excluded it. However, Macron said that France and Great Britain would send military delegations to Ukraine to work During the drafting of the plans for the future of the Ukrainian army and for the size and scope of a reassurance force.
“These are these military exchanges that will define the positions, the number of forces to make it credible and the skills,” said Macron. “Nothing has yet been excluded. We are looking at the sea, air and earth.”
Subsequently he added that “within three or four weeks we will have a fairly precise action plan” on the strengthening of the Ukrainian army and on the creation of a European force.
Thursday’s meeting came after similar meetings from leaders and military leaders in France and Great Britain, who are leading efforts to help Ukraine despite the falter American commitment. Paris leaders also promised to increase short -term military aid for Ukraine, said Macron, also accelerating the delivery of loans supported by the Russian activities agreed last year.
“We also agreed unanimously that it was not the time to raise sanctions, whatever they are,” he said.
The Kremlin claimed to honor parts of an agreement on a ceased in the Black Sea that was hit this week only after the western countries removed the restrictions on Russian agricultural exports-a question that the European countries have rejected.
“It is clear that the Russians are Philibustering,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Great Britain at the Paris meeting, according to his office.
The special envoy of President Trump, Steve Witkoff, defined the idea of a European force in Ukraine “simplistic” and “a posture and a pose”, even if the Trump administration repeatedly replied Europe to do too much to defend itself. Trump has not shown any desire to provide American guarantees to Ukrainian security, which Starmer said that most European countries would be required to consider the possibility of committing troops.
“There is still a lack of clarity on the nature of American commitments the next day,” Macron said, adding that when it came to support us, “you have to hope for the best but prepare yourself for the worst”.
However, he defined the United States a “reliable” ally and said he spoke to Mr. Trump on the phone before the meeting on Thursday and who would have informed him later. Mr. Macron also seemed to appeal to the antipathy of Mr. Trump that he was on the bad end of an agreement, suggesting that Russia-Ci, unlike Ukraine, did not agree with a ceased for the 30-day unconditional fire-stave by breaking his own peace efforts.
“President Trump expects a clear response from Russia,” Macron said. “If that clear response from Russia does not arrive, President Trump will feel cheated, betrayed, rightly, and then he will have to react.”
“But I don’t put myself in his shoes,” he added. “I’m just trying to describe how things would normally go.”
Mark Landler Relationships contributed by London; Ivan Nechepurenko by Tbilisi, Georgia; AND Maria Varenikova From Kyiv, Ukraine.