Macron and Zelenskyy at the Paris summit after 26 nations pledged Ukraine security guarantees [Image by Daily Sabah]
(The Post News) – Twenty-six nations have proposed to provide postwar security assurances to Ukraine, including deploying an international presence on land, at sea, and in the air, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday after a high-stakes summit in Paris.
By the side of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Élysée Palace, Macron said the commitments were meant to deter further Russian aggression when the war ends. “The instant the war stops, the security guarantees will be implemented,” he stated in front of reporters. “We now have 26 countries that have made a clear commitment … to deploy as ‘reassurance force’ troops in Ukraine or be present on the ground, in the sea, or in the air.”
Macron: No Frontline Deployment
Macron emphasized that the force won’t be on the frontline but would instead be focused on preventing any fresh mass invasion. Troops will be dispatched by some states, and others will support Ukraine off its borders with training courses, weapons supplies, and intelligence sharing. Zelenskyy welcomed the deal as “the first such serious, concrete step” toward securing the long-term future of Ukraine.
The summit, attended by 35 leaders of what Macron had referred to as the “coalition of the willing,” also featured a video conference with U.S. President Donald Trump. Washington’s involvement is still key, with European officials adamant that American support is needed to make the promises credible.
Macron said U.S. participation would be determined “in the coming days.” Trump, who has sent mixed signals about Ukraine since taking office, later briefed reporters that he would be talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future. “Yeah, I will be. We are having a very good dialogue,” he said.
European Divisions
While the vows are a milestone, there are rifts. Germany, Italy, and Spain have to date ruled out deploying troops, opting instead to fund, arm, and train Ukraine’s military. A German government source stressed, “Germany will decide on military involvement at the right moment once the terms of the framework have been clarified.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signaled that her administration would not deploy troops but could be involved in policing any peace treaty. Moscow swiftly dismissed the Western offer. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media that commitments “cannot be a security guarantee for Ukraine that would be acceptable to our country.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing Beijing alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping, reiterated Moscow would proceed with its military goals unless Kyiv surrendered land and relinquished ambitions to join NATO.
The European leaders are also urging Trump to intensify sanctions. America had already slapped tariffs on India for Russian oil imports while encouraging Europe to remove exemptions for Slovakia and Hungary. Ukraine has continuously targeted the Druzhba pipeline, utilized to supply Russian crude to the two countries, which has led to EU rows.
Furthermore, the U.S. confirmed the delivery of 3,350 ERAM long-range missiles to Ukraine for $825 million, funded by Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Washington.
NATO Stands Firm
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasized that the decision to deploy European forces was not up to Russia. “We literally need to stop making Putin too strong,” he argued. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz went even further and referred to Putin as “the worst war criminal of our era.”
Despite growing economic pressure from sanctions, Russia has shown few indications of making concessions. Sberbank chief German Gref warned this week that the Russian economy may stagnate after two years of growth driven by war.
Despite the fact that peace is yet to be reached, leaders of Europe argue that now it is time to prepare for it. “The work prepared, written, and validated at the defense minister level in utmost secrecy allows us to say: this work is done and will now be politically signed off on,” Macron said. For Kyiv, the assurances are a lifeline amid anxieties about an uncertain U.S. policy. “Europe is committed,” Macron asserted, pitting Western determination against Moscow’s mercurial demands.
Whether Trump’s support will be more than rhetoric remains to be seen. But for the first time, Ukraine can be certain of an international force willing to defend it when fighting ends.
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