Allies agree 'robust' security guarantees for Ukraine: Macron

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Representatives from Cyprus, NATO, Canada, the European Council, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine, France, UK, Italy, the European Commission, the US, Croatia, Albania, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Romania, Denmark and Belgium at the Elysee in Paris. /Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters

European and US allies of Ukraine on Tuesday agreed "robust" security guarantees for Kyiv to come into force after an eventual ceasefire with Russia – guarantees that would see the United States lead a truce monitoring mechanism, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a declaration of intent that foresees Britain, France and other European allies deploying troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire.

Macron said after the meeting in Paris that the moves represented "robust security guarantees for a solid and lasting peace", hailing an "operational convergence" among allies including the United States.

The security guarantees are "the key to ensuring that a peace agreement can never mean a Ukrainian surrender and that a peace agreement can never mean a new threat to Ukraine" from Russia, Macron said.

Europe-US tensions

Against the background of tensions between Europe and the US on Greenland and Venezuela, US envoy Steve Witkoff, who was present at the talks in Paris, said "a lot of progress" had been made.

Allies have "largely finished" agreeing security guarantees for Ukraine "so that the people of Ukraine know that when this ends, it ends forever," he said, flanked by President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner who was also present at the talks.

Witkoff said that "land options" will be the most "critical issue" and "hopefully we will be able to come up with certain compromises with regard to that".

Starmer said for his part that following a ceasefire the UK and France will establish "military hubs" across Ukraine and "build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine's defensive needs".

But he warned: "We can only get to a peace deal if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is ready to make compromises. Putin is not showing he is ready for peace."

"This only hardens our resolve," he added.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose nation has been wary of contributing troops to a multinational force, said German forces could join to monitor a Ukraine ceasefire, but based in a neighboring country.

"We will certainly have to make compromises", he said in Paris, adding that "we will not achieve textbook diplomatic solutions".

Key quotes

Emmanuel Macron, French President: "We've expressed our availability to be deployed in this multinational force. These are not combat forces, I want to clarify that for our fellow countrymen. It's for the day after there's peace, offering a guarantee of peace and security.

"That's potentially thousands of men. But it's not, first of all, for right now. Second of all, it will be part of a plan. And finally it will be part of our existing foreign operations."

Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor: "Every partner in the coalition must, under its own domestic procedures, decide in due course what contribution it will make... Germany will continue to contribute politically, financially, and militarily.

"On the type and scope of a German contribution, the government and the German Bundestag must and will decide once the conditions (of the ceasefire) are clarified… We basically rule nothing out."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President: "It has been determined which countries are ready to take the lead in ensuring security on land, in the air, at sea, and in reconstruction. It has been determined what kind of forces are necessary. It has been determined how the forces will be managed and at what levels of command."

Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister: The signing of the declaration "paves the way for the legal framework under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the future.

"I can say that following the ceasefire, the UK and France will establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine's defensive needs.

Donald Tusk, Polish Prime Minister: "We all want to take advantage of this moment when Ukraine and all the countries that participated in this meeting today are demonstrating some good will. Let's face it, Ukraine is ready for compromise, or at least is seriously and earnestly discussing compromise."

Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy: "The president strongly stands behind security protocols. Those security protocols are meant to a) deter any attacks, any further attacks in Ukraine, and b) if there are any attacks, they're meant to defend, and they will do both. They are as strong as anyone has ever seen."

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters

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