More than 27 world leaders are meeting in the French capital Tuesday to finalize security guarantees for Ukraine. The summit aims to establish a concrete framework for a multinational force and binding military commitments in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending the talks alongside senior U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The goal is to align Ukrainian, European, and American positions before presenting a unified proposal to Moscow.
While military support has previously been characterized by vague promises, diplomats say this meeting focuses on "putting concrete commitments on paper." According to documents reviewed by Reuters, the agenda’s are establishing a multinational force to monitor a potential ceasefire. Securing binding agreements to defend Ukraine if it is attacked again and coordinating a "Coalition of the Willing" to synchronize with U.S. and European negotiating positions.
"We have reached agreement on the operational details," a French presidency official said. "We will explain how they are structured and the need for long-term commitment."
The summit comes as the conflict nears its four-year mark. While peace talks have accelerated since November, significant obstacles remain—most notably disagreements over territory and continued heavy fighting.
President Zelensky stated Sunday that Ukraine is preparing for two paths: diplomacy or continued active defense. "Ukraine wants peace," he said, "but we will prepare for further defense if pressure on Russia proves insufficient."
The meeting also serves to solidify U.S. involvement. European officials hope that a firm coalition agreement will cement long-term American support, which has remained largely bilateral until now.
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