Gathered at a new summit, the 35 countries of the “coalition of the willing” displayed a united front this Tuesday, January 6 in Paris, committing to providing “robust” security guarantees to Ukraine, in the event of a ceasefire agreement with Russia, a still distant prospect.
These security guarantees, provided for in the “Paris declaration”, which essentially European countries plan to provide are “the key so that a peace agreement can never mean a Ukrainian surrender and that a peace agreement can never mean a new threat for Ukraine” from Russia, assured Emmanuel Macron during a press conference.
“This declaration from the coalition of the willing comes for the first time to recognize an operational convergence between the 35 countries which make up the coalition of the willing, Ukraine and the United States of America, to build robust security guarantees,” Emmanuel Macron further declared. The allies promise to provide kyiv with long-term military aid, including the delivery of weapons, as well as the creation of a multinational force that would support the reconstruction of the Ukrainian army while strengthening deterrence. “These commitments could include the use of military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, the adoption of additional sanctions,” the statement said.
The deployment of a multinational force
Furthermore, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a declaration of intent on “the deployment of a multinational force after a ceasefire” in Ukraine. This force, under study for several months and formed by the volunteer countries of the coalition, will be led by the Europeans and supported by the United States, according to the final declaration published by the French presidency.
A little later in the evening, Emmanuel Macron indicated on France 2 that “thousands of French soldiers” could be deployed within this force, with the objective of maintaining peace in Ukraine. “These are not forces that we engage in combat. It is a force of reassurance,” he assured.
The pace of talks to end the conflict has picked up since November, but the territorial issue remains a major sticking point between Russia and Ukraine, and there is no indication that Vladimir Putin is willing to agree to a ceasefire if all of Moscow’s demands are not met.
