Skip next section What to expect at the “coalition of the willing” meeting in Paris
09/04/2025September 4, 2025
What to expect at the “coalition of the willing” meeting in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to kick off a meeting with the leaders of the so-called coalition of the willing to fine-tune security guarantees for Ukraine once hostilities end there.
Macron said preparations for security guarantees were completed at a meeting of defense ministers of the group, saying details were “extremely confidential.”
This European-led initiative to defend Ukraine against Russian attacks following a peace deal between the neighboring countries or in a post-war Ukraine has gained momentum in recent months.
But European leaders have been clear that the initiative would not be possible without backing from the US government.
So far, European allies have discussed sending troops to Ukraine as part of , but the prospect has divided many European allies.
Russia has also said it would not accept NATO troops in Ukraine, and Trump has ruled out deploying US soldiers. Trump said his country may provide intelligence and air support.
said last week that his country would be willing to provide more weapons to Ukraine. Merz is set to join the meeting via video conference this morning, along the British and Italian leaders.
Secretary General Mark Rutte said after a meeting with the Estonian president in Brussels yesterday that he expected “tomorrow or soon after tomorrow to have clarity on what collectively we can deliver.”
Rutte said the group was in the process of finalizing the last details at the level of military chiefs, defense ministers and heads of state and government.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zxxP
Skip next section Russia attacks on Ukraine continue
09/04/2025September 4, 2025
Russia attacks on Ukraine continue
Russia fired more than 500 drones and two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight into Wednesday, authorities said, as Ukraine’s president and European leaders pressed on with talks about strengthening Ukrainian defenses.
The main Russian nighttime targets were civilian infrastructure, especially energy facilities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as another winter approaches three years after Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zxxO
Skip next section Will Trump join the meeting?
09/04/2025September 4, 2025
Will Trump join the meeting?
A German government spokesperson said the “coalition of the willing” was considering an option to invite into the hybrid call.
“I can’t preempt anything, but there are deliberations to dial in the US president,” he said.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff was in Paris ahead of the meeting, according to Reuters news agency.
It wasn’t clear whether Witkoff would join the meeting, but he was likely to hold talks with the Ukrainian delegation, Reuters reported.
Trump told news reporters in the Oval Office that he would be speaking with after the meeting.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zy2Y
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage09/04/2025September 4, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
Good morning! All eyes are on a meeting of the “,” a group of European, NATO and non-NATO allies, that has agreed to support Kyiv after hostilities end.
French President Emmanuel Macron will host the meeting in Paris. He told reporters yesterday that Europe was ready to offer Ukraine security assurances once a peace deal was signed with Russia.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who met Macron again yesterday in Paris, said he was confident that allies would ramp up the pressure on Russia to have it move toward a diplomatic solution.
But Zelenskyy said he was less confident about any signs yet from Russia that “they want to end the war.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4zy2n
The post Ukraine updates: Allies meeting in Paris over security plan appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
