French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said Europe is prepared to offer Kyiv security guarantees once a peace deal with Russia is signed ahead of a Thursday meeting in Paris.
“We are ready for a robust peace and lasting peace for Ukraine and the Europeans,” Macron said, as per France24. “The question now is to know the sincerity of Russia.”
Macron will host a virtual meeting of roughly 30 “Coalition of the Willing” countries in Paris on Thursday, which President Volodymyr Zelensky will also attend.
On X, Zelensky thanked France for standing with Ukraine. “We are grateful to the entire French nation and personally to @EmmanuelMacron for such strong support for our country.”
Britain and France co-chair the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” a group of countries open to contributing to a reassurance force to deter further Russian aggression towards Ukraine.
Also on Wednesday, UK Defence Minister John Healey chaired in Kyiv a meeting of defense ministers from the “Coalition of the Willing,” before telling a press conference that the planned security guarantees are substantial and real.
However, both Macron and Healey refused to elaborate on the details, which Macron described as “extremely confidential.”
Macron has previously expressed doubts about whether Russia truly wishes to end its war in Ukraine. In August, as per The Moscow Times, he sparked anger in Russia by describing Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “predator, an ogre at our gates.”
“Particular attention was paid to our path toward the European Union,” Zelensky also wrote on Wednesday. “We appreciate France’s support in this regard.”