Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP / Getty Images
At a significant summit in Paris, the United States, for the first time, backed a broad coalition of Ukraine's allies, pledging security guarantees to support Ukraine if Russia attacks again. The summit, held on Tuesday (January 6), gathered representatives from 35 countries, including 27 heads of state or government, to discuss post-war security for Kyiv. This coalition, known as the "coalition of the willing," aims to provide robust security assurances to Ukraine, especially in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, which first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.
The UK and France pledged to establish military hubs in Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. The U.S. will lead a truce monitoring mechanism, with European participation, to ensure compliance with any ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a declaration of intent, outlining the framework for deploying a multinational European force.
The European Council emphasized the importance of Ukraine's ability to defend itself as critical for Euro-Atlantic security. The coalition agreed to establish a US-Ukraine coordination cell in Paris and continue supporting Ukraine's forces with equipment and training.
While the U.S. envoys' involvement was seen as a strong commitment to the security framework, the final statement did not explicitly outline the use of U.S. capabilities in Ukraine. Russia has yet to comment on the summit and has previously rejected foreign troop presence in Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy welcomed the security guarantees, noting the concrete commitments made. However, he highlighted that the "territorial question," particularly regarding Russia's demands on the Donbas region, remains unresolved. UK Prime Minister Starmer acknowledged the progress but warned that achieving peace would require Russian compromise.