Editor's note: This story has been updated to provide the latest developments.
Leaders from 31 countries gathered in Paris on March 27 to coordinate military aid for Ukraine and discuss steps toward a just and lasting peace, the Ukrainian presidential office reported.
The summit, co-led by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, follows Starmer's March 2 proposal to form a "coalition of the willing" to support Ukraine.
Macron spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the meeting, the French presidency said. The summit's discussions will reportedly center on sustaining military aid, strengthening Ukraine's defense industry, and negotiating potential ceasefire mechanisms.
The leaders will also discuss the possibility of deploying a peacekeeping force to Ukraine with U.S. support as part of a future peace agreement. Starmer previously stressed that the coalition would need "strong U.S. backing" to succeed.
The coalition aims to form a "reassurance force" as a key security guarantee for Ukraine. Members who are reluctant to send their own troops to Ukraine can instead deploy soldiers to neighboring countries or provide ships, aircraft, intelligence, tanks, or other support.
An outline document for the summit seen by Reuters mentions a possible future reassurance force with U.S. support, but there are few signs that Washington is prepared to commit.
Trump claimed on Feb. 24 that Russian President Vladimir Putin would allow European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a settlement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov publicly rejected the idea.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused France and Britain of planning "military intervention in Ukraine" under the guise of a peacekeeping mission, as reported by state-owned publication TASS.
Zelensky said he hoped the summit would clarify which countries might commit to such a force but acknowledged that discussions were still in their early stages.
Alex Cadier
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