Ukraine, France, and the United Kingdom have signed a declaration of intent regarding the future deployment of multinational forces in Ukraine following the war's conclusion. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the move during a press conference following the "Coalition of the Willing" summit in Paris on January 6.
"We have achieved significant progress today, reflected in the Paris Declaration, by providing solid guarantees for a lasting peace. This declaration recognizes for the first time the operational convergence between the 35 nations of the Coalition of the Willing, Ukraine, and the United States," Macron stated.
Calling the summit a "historic day for Ukraine and Europe," he added: "Together, we are building a robust security architecture for Ukraine."
What the Paris Declaration Entails
Under the document, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) will serve as the first line of defense against potential Russian aggression. Ukraine’s post-war army is set to number 800,000 troops, with Western partners pledging to provide support.
Foreign troops from the Coalition of the Willing will be deployed on land, in the air, and at sea to enforce the ceasefire. Macron noted that these forces would be stationed far from the line of contact.
The United States, supported by European nations, will lead ceasefire monitoring efforts. A coordination center will be established within the Coalition's operational headquarters. Allies are legally binding themselves to support Ukraine in the event of a renewed Russian attack.
"Every peace agreement signed by Russia over the past 15 years has been violated—in Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine. Given this experience, we demand guarantees for peace," Macron explained.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK and France have agreed to establish military hubs across Ukraine following a ceasefire agreement. "We will continue to pressure Russia until it sits at the negotiating table," he said.
Ukraine's Position
Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine has sufficient details and knows which nations will be involved in the agreement. "We understand what each country in the Coalition of the Willing is prepared to do," he said.
He noted that military officials from Ukraine, France, and the UK have worked out the specifics regarding force deployment, troop numbers, and weaponry. Security guarantee documents are ready and could be signed in the near future.
"We had a very substantive discussion with the American side regarding monitoring to ensure there are no peace violations. America is ready to work in this direction," Zelensky emphasized.
He also remarked that Russia is "not 100% invested in diplomacy," relying instead on strikes against Ukraine's energy sector. Ukraine requires additional air defense missiles.
European Leaders' Stance
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told Sky News that Ukraine is serious about reaching a compromise with Russia. He stated that unity between Europe and the U.S. was secured at the meeting. While Poland will take a leading role in logistics, it does not anticipate deploying Polish troops to Ukraine as part of the security guarantees.
European Council President António Costa announced that the EU would create politically and legally binding guarantees for Ukraine once a ceasefire comes into effect. The EU is set to provide €90 billion in funding, a portion of which will be allocated to the armed forces.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote that the summit demonstrated "strong unity regarding Ukraine."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that she rules out the inclusion of Italian ground troops in the multinational security forces in Ukraine.
Next Steps
Talks in Paris will continue on January 7 in a narrower format. Representing Ukraine will be Budanov, Arakhamia, Umerov, Kyslytsya, and Bevz. The rest of the delegation, led by Zelensky, is departing for Cyprus.
G7 foreign ministers will hold talks on Ukraine at the request of France, which assumed the group's presidency on January 1.
Earlier, Suspilne obtained a draft communiqué of the summit indicating that the U.S. would assist in maintaining the ceasefire through intelligence and logistics, while Europe, along with other Coalition members, would lead security operations.
