PARIS: Key European allies of Ukraine and top US envoys met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Tuesday in their latest bid to agree security guarantees for any ceasefire in Russia's war against its neighbour. The summit of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" comes despite no drop in fighting, almost four years into Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. The capture by US forces of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, an ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has unsettled some European countries and added a potential new element of transatlantic uncertainty.
But no ceasefire deal has been reached as both sides remain at odds over territory in a post-war settlement, with Kyiv insisting Russia must withdraw from the Ukrainian territory it currently occupies. Russia has repeatedly opposed any Nato boots on the ground in Ukraine to monitor a halt in hostilities. Representatives of 35 countries, including 27 heads of state, will gather in Paris for the meeting. The French presidency said the meeting aims to show the "alignment" between Washington, Kyiv and European allies on security guarantees for Ukraine.
Zelensky on his arrival in Paris on Tuesday was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace for a one-to-one meeting before a lunch with other participants, including US envoys. US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner have travelled to the French capital to attend the meeting of the coalition, launched last year by France and Britain. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were among the leaders to attend the Paris talks, according to diplomatic sources.
Before leaving for Paris, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the aim of the meeting was to "tighten and align the European and American positions". He said "only that kind of pressure has a chance of forcing the Russians to take the issue of a ceasefire, and then peace, seriously". He warned, though, against expecting final decisions to be made in Paris.
An adviser to Macron on Monday said the new meeting was the culmination of efforts launched after Trump's arrival at the White House to prevent "the United States from abandoning Ukraine."
European leaders are to commit in particular to a shared vision of what a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire would look like, and their response in case of violations. They will also discuss the deployment of a multinational force to "reassure Ukraine" as part of a possible political agreement, the French presidency said. To lay the groundwork, security advisers from 15 countries, including Britain, France and Germany as well as representatives from Nato and the European Union, gathered in Kyiv over the weekend, with Witkoff joining virtually.
Kyiv said in recent days a deal was "90 per cent" ready. But Russia, which occupies around 20 per cent of Ukraine, is pushing for full control of the country's eastern Donbas region as part of a deal. Kyiv has warned ceding ground will embolden Moscow and said it will not sign a peace deal that fails to deter Russia from invading again. Merz on Sunday said diplomatic efforts were being waged "under difficult conditions."
"Russia is showing little willingness to negotiate, President Zelensky is struggling to maintain unity among Ukrainians, and transatlantic cooperation has changed profoundly," he wrote in a letter to lawmakers. "We want a ceasefire that preserves Ukraine's sovereignty. We therefore want such a ceasefire ... to be backed by security guarantees from the US and Europe." — AFP
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