European leaders convened in Paris on Thursday to shore up support for Ukraine, a “coalition of the willing” that wants to help the war-torn country fight back against Russia despite wavering American commitment, and safeguard an eventual peace.
France and Britain have been spearheading those efforts, which led to a first meeting in Paris in February and a second one in London earlier this month, as well as gatherings of top military chiefs. Over 30 officials were attending the meeting on Thursday, mainly European heads of state and government as well as top European Union representatives.
Who is willing to do what in this coalition, however, is still unclear, especially at a time when low growth and high debt are complicating the equation for European countries trying to spend more on their militaries.
The biggest question mark is the idea of a potential “reassurance force” of European troops stationed in Ukraine once the conflict ends, to prevent Russia from repeating its 2022 invasion. Britain and France floated the idea, but so far no other country has committed troops to such a force, which is still largely undefined and which Russia has called unacceptable.
Even so, French officials say, the summit meeting shows that efforts by President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain to mount a joint European response are paying off.
“We are and will remain resolutely at Ukraine’s side,” Mr. Macron said at a news conference on Wednesday evening, after meeting in Paris with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. “The future of the European continent and our security are at stake.”
Mr. Zelensky said he was hoping for “strong new decisions” to emerge from the gathering on Thursday, where leaders were expected to discuss short-term military aid for Ukraine, as well as efforts to support a future cease-fire and to bolster the Ukrainian Army.
Ukraine and its European allies have suggested that Russia is using United States-led cease-fire negotiations to extract concessions without giving much in return as the fighting continues.
“Far from proving that it really wants peace, Russia continues, day after day, to strike intensively at Ukrainian territory, including civilian targets,” Mr. Macron said on Wednesday.
It remains unclear what kind of role the United States would be willing to play in the European efforts to bolster Ukraine’s defenses.
President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, called the idea of stationing a European force in Ukraine “simplistic” and “a posture and a pose” — even though the Trump administration has repeatedly berated Europe for doing too little to defend itself. Mr. Trump has not shown any willingness to provide American guarantees of Ukrainian security, which Mr. Starmer has said would be required for most European countries to consider committing troops.
Mr. Macron reiterated on Wednesday that any European force would not be on the front lines of the conflict and would not be tasked with monitoring or enforcing a cease-fire — a job that he suggested could fall to United Nations peacekeepers. Instead, he said, European troops would be based farther from the front lines, to deter Russia and help train and support Ukrainian forces.
“It’s a pacifist approach,” Mr. Macron insisted. “The only ones who would start a conflict or a belligerent situation would be the Russians if they decided to launch a new aggression.”
Mr. Zelensky echoed that, telling reporters that “no one wants to prolong this war and get another country involved.” A foreign contingent, he said, would “control the situation, monitor it, carry out joint training” and “prevent any desire by Russia to return with renewed waves of aggression.”
A senior official in the French presidency, who, in keeping with French practice, briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said the European efforts to help Ukraine were “done transparently and in perfect harmony with our American partners, who are interested in this approach and have told us that it’s a good one.” Mr. Macron spoke to Mr. Trump by phone ahead of Thursday’s meeting, the French presidency said.
The Trump administration’s sudden policy shifts and Europe’s urgent calls to spend more on defense are a vindication for Mr. Macron, who has argued since the very beginning of his presidency that Europe needed more “strategic autonomy” and less dependence on American military support.
Still, the French official acknowledged that not all countries were willing or able to put troops on the ground.
“There are different political traditions, because constitutions are different, because political sensitivities can vary,” the official said. “But everyone has their place in building solid security guarantees for Ukraine.”
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