Top officials from across Europe are meeting in the French capital to thrash out concrete security guarantees for Ukraine, with Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer driving the push for a united front.
European leaders will gather in Paris on Thursday for a meeting aimed at shaping Ukraine’s security future, as French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to co-chair discussions designed to give Kyiv credible protection against further Russian aggression.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join the talks alongside EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The so-called “Coalition of the Willing” – around 30 countries led by France and Britain – is central to the plan.
Its members are exploring ways to provide military support, ranging from weapons and training to the possible deployment of troops in a peacekeeping or deterrent role should a ceasefire be agreed.
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'NATO-style guarantees'
While the details remain under discussion, the principle is clear: Ukraine’s security cannot rest solely on promises, but must be anchored in tangible commitments.
For Kyiv, this is a pressing issue. Senior officials, including presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, have stressed that NATO-style guarantees or even a European peacekeeping force will be essential if full NATO membership continues to prove elusive.
Without such backing, Zelensky fears Russia could exploit any pause in fighting to regroup and strike again.
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Security 'back-stop'
Paris and London have taken the lead in trying to shape a common European position.
Macron’s office has been notably bullish in recent days, pointing out that European capitals have now pledged enough contributions to make a serious offer.
“We are ready,” according to an Élysée Palace statement, while underlining that Washington also needed to step up. Europeans, the official argued, can take responsibility “as long as [the Americans] take on theirs – meaning giving European partners a backstop”.
That backstop could come in several forms: intelligence-sharing, logistical support, or advanced communications.
What it will not include, at least for now, is US boots on the ground. President Donald Trump has been categorical on that point, even as he insists Washington could support Europe’s efforts in other ways.
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Clarity on committments
Rutte set expectations in Brussels on Wednesday, calling the Paris gathering “an important meeting” that should bring clarity “on what collectively we can deliver” and, crucially, on “what the American side wants to deliver”.
At a recent meeting of military chiefs, European governments were urged to pin down their contributions. The Paris summit is expected to crystallise those commitments into a clearer framework that can be presented to Washington.
Trump, meanwhile, has been pursuing his own parallel diplomacy. Having welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska last month with considerable fanfare, he has been trying – unsuccessfully so far – to arrange a summit between Putin and Zelensky.
His frustration was plain on Tuesday when he admitted to being “very disappointed” in the Kremlin leader for failing to move towards a peace deal.
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European unity
Russia, for its part, has repeatedly warned that it would never accept Western troops in Ukraine.
Yet the Coalition of the Willing is betting that a credible deterrent presence, if designed carefully, could help prevent further bloodshed.
Despite the uncertainties, there is a cautious optimism in Paris. By presenting a united European front and pressing Washington to engage, Macron and Starmer hope to show that Ukraine is not standing alone.
For a continent that has often been accused of hesitancy, the Paris meeting offers a chance to demonstrate leadership – and to put real weight behind promises of “never again” in the face of Russian aggression.
