France has finalized preparations for security guarantees for Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron has stated, signaling a significant step in the ongoing efforts to secure a peace deal with Russia. During a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Paris, Macron highlighted that European countries are ready to offer security guarantees to Ukraine upon the signing of a peace agreement with Moscow. The details of these guarantees remain confidential, as confirmed by the French president.
The move comes amid intense discussions within NATO about potential models for post-conflict Ukraine, which have been influenced by US President Donald Trump’s renewed attempts to mediate a deal between Kiev and Moscow. Zelensky expressed confidence that firm security guarantees would be agreed upon during the Coalition of the Willing meeting on Thursday. Kiev has been pressing the West to provide guarantees that could serve as an alternative to NATO’s collective defense, given the US’s reluctance to allow Ukraine to join the bloc.
Several European nations, including France and the UK, have indicated their willingness to deploy peacekeepers, while Germany has stated it has no such plans. Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine. Russia, however, has warned that it would not tolerate NATO soldiers on Ukrainian soil, even under the guise of a peacekeeping force. President Vladimir Putin has listed an end to Western military aid to Kiev as one of the conditions for a ceasefire.