France has announced that Europe is ready to support Ukraine with long-term security guarantees once the war ends, but it is now urging the United States to do its part. President Emmanuel Macron’s office said on Tuesday that Kyiv’s European allies are prepared to contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine after any peace deal with Russia is reached.
Ahead of a meeting in Paris on Thursday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and allies, an Elysée Palace official said, “We are ready,” adding that Europeans now hope to secure “the support of the Americans to guarantee Ukraine’s security.”
A “Coalition of the Willing,” comprising around 30 countries, plans to support Ukraine’s military and could potentially deploy some of its own soldiers once a ceasefire is in place. The purpose of any such deployment would be to deter future Russian aggression. According to a French diplomatic source, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his US counterpart Marco Rubio “stressed the good existing cooperation in the Coalition of the Willing” during a phone call on Tuesday, ahead of Thursday’s meeting.
A US State Department spokesperson stated that the two ministers “agreed to continue cooperation in diplomatic efforts to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end through a negotiated settlement with measures in place to secure a lasting peace.”
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair Thursday’s meeting. An Elysée official said: “We now have enough contributions to be able to say to the Americans that we are ready to take our responsibilities as long as they take on theirs — meaning giving European partners a ‘backstop’.” This backstop could involve several areas, including intelligence, logistical support, and communications. However, US President Donald Trump has ruled out any American troops on the ground.
Trump’s recent attempt to organize a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky, after hosting the Russian leader in Alaska last month, was unsuccessful. On Tuesday, Trump said he was “very disappointed” in Putin for not moving towards a peace deal on Ukraine. Macron’s office confirmed that the United States will send a representative to Thursday’s meeting, without providing further details.
