Zelensky attends Paris summit as US, Europe draft security guarantees for Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Paris on Jan. 6 for discussions with European leaders and U.S. envoys on security guarantees for Ukraine, as Washington renews its push to broker a peace deal.
The "Coalition of the Willing" summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, takes place as Kyiv signals that a deal to end Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion is "90% ready."
The meeting brings together representatives from 35 countries, including 27 heads of state and government, top EU officials, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
According to a reported draft joint statement, still subject to changes and a final approval by the leaders, the Coalition's security guarantees would include a U.S.-backed, European-led force deployed in post-war Ukraine, as well as ceasefire monitoring by Washington.
Zelensky met Macron for private talks at the Elysee Palace around midday, ahead of their meetings with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner, as well as other Western officials.
According to Ukraine's leader, he and Macron discussed diplomatic efforts and "new decisions regarding air defense, new assistance packages, and new capabilities to protect the skies."
The Coalition's summit has already commenced, Suspilne broadcaster reported at 3:45 p.m. local time, citing the Elysee Palace.
A draft statement by the Coalition includes "binding commitments" by members to support Ukraine in the event of a future Russian attack, Reuters reported.
These commitments include "military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives, (and) adoption of additional sanctions," according to the draft reviewed by Reuters.
As AFP reported, the document says that the U.S. would lead a "ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism" with international involvement and commit to "support" a European-led multinational force.
This force would be deployed in Ukraine to strengthen the country's military and provide "reassurance measures in the air, at sea and on land." According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the deployment could involve between 15,000 and 30,000 troops.
Sky News also reported that the document proposes the creation of a U.S.-Ukraine subgroup of the Coalition.
The Coalition's meeting will be followed by a joint press conference with Zelensky, Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, originally scheduled for 6:15 p.m., according to Zelensky's spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov.
A separate meeting is scheduled to take place later in the evening between Zelensky, Kushner, Witkoff, and other U.S. and Ukrainian delegates, he added.
According to Matt Whitaker, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, the parties "could be on the cusp of a peace deal" as several agreements between Kyiv, the Coalition of the Willing, and the U.S. are expected to be finalized "very soon."
It remains unclear whether Moscow will be open to any agreements reached in talks between Ukraine, the U.S., and Europe.
Russia has consistently opposed the presence of Western troops in Ukraine as part of a post-war agreement and continues to demand that Ukraine abandon NATO aspirations and cede the entire Donbas region, including territories still held by Kyiv's forces.
Zelensky is accompanied in Paris by Kyrylo Budanov, a former military intelligence chief recently appointed as the head of the Presidential Office, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, and David Arakhamia, the leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary group.
"These talks are meant to deliver more protection and strength for Ukraine," Zelensky said on X. "We are counting on our partners' support and on steps that can guarantee real security for our people."
Earlier, the military chiefs of Ukraine, the U.K., and France held discussions in Paris on implementing "modalities" of security guarantees for Kyiv ahead of the leaders' summit.
Alexus Grynkewich, the chief of the U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, was also present at the talks, with military heads from other Coalition countries joining online.
"The ongoing military work, carried out for months with our Coalition and in coordination with the United States, supports the political efforts to establish lasting peace on our continent," said French Chief of the Defense Staff Fabien Mandon after meeting his Ukrainian and U.K. counterparts, Andrii Hnatov and Rich Knighton, respectively.
Trump's latest peace push led to a flurry of negotiations that saw the initial controversial 28-point peace plan reworked into a 20-point framework, with some key issues, such as the fate of partially occupied Donbas region, still to be decided.
Security guarantees are another crucial aspect of the discussed agreement. Zelensky previously said that bilateral guarantees between Ukraine and the U.S. are already "fully agreed," while a wider U.S.–Europe–Ukraine arrangement is nearing completion.
According to the president, the final agreement must include the physical presence of foreign troops — namely those from France and the U.K. — on Ukrainian territory.
Paris and London are spearheading the plan to deploy the so-called "reassurance force" in Ukraine after a peace deal is reached, aiming to help secure the country's infrastructure in the rear and rebuild its military.
Bloomberg reported that European leaders at the Paris talks aim to include the option of deploying U.S. troops to post-war Ukraine in the agreement, despite Washington having previously ruled out such proposals.
Recent days have seen rising tensions between the U.S. and Europe as Washington renewed its claims on Greenland, Denmark's semi-autonomous island. According to Politico, European officials seek to avoid the topic during the Paris summit not to antagonize Trump.
The talks with European leaders follow Zelensky's meeting with Trump at his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. During a joint press conference with Zelensky on Dec. 28, Trump said the peace talks were in their "final stages," without providing further details.
