Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer attend a meeting the European Political Community summit, in the Albanian capital Tirana on 16 May 2025. Image: RFI.
(The Post News) – The Paris Summit convenes Thursday in Paris as Zelensky and Europe leaders meet in a “Coalition of the Willing” gathering to negotiate security guarantees for Ukraine.
In a late press conference on Wednesday. French President Emmanuel Macron said that the offer will be enacted “the day that a peace (accord) is signed.” Hosting the summit alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the meeting will outline the “extremely confidential” details of the offer. However, it is speculated that the offer may involve European troop deployments to Ukraine, training assistance, and U.S. support as a safety net.
The role of the U.S. as a “backstop” is not surprising. In August, former President Donald Trump had offered NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine, including air support and intelligence assistance, though he made clear that American troops would not be deployed to Ukrainian soil. This was after Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear once more that the Kremlin would not tolerate any NATO troops being deployed to Ukraine.
The alliance of U.S., European leaders, and Ukraine is intended to put pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire or peace deal that ends the three-and-a-half-year invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hopes the Paris Summit and the security guarantees will be a final push toward a diplomatic solution, noting that Russia has shown no signs of wanting to end the war.
Russia’s Response to the Paris Summit and Europe’s Security Guarantees
Russia’s Foreign Ministry is completely opposed to the security guarantees offered at the Paris summit. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova argued that “they are not guarantees of Ukraine’s security, but guarantees of danger to the European continent,” adding that Russia will not tolerate the deployment of foreign troops “in any format.”
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