Zelensky arrives in Paris, meets Macron ahead of security guarantees summit with 'Coalition of the Willing'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Paris on Sept. 3 ahead of a high-level meeting of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing," where participating nations are expected to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

The meeting, scheduled for Sept. 4, will be held in a hybrid format — both in person and online — and will be co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Ahead of the broader talks, Zelensky is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Macron during his eighth visit to Paris since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Before that, the two leaders spoke at a joint press conference, during which Macron reaffirmed Europe's commitment to supporting Ukraine.

"We are ready to provide political support for these agreements," Macron said, referring to security guarantees that could be formalized once a peace agreement is reached.

Zelensky thanked France for its continued backing, underscoring Europe's desire for peace. Yet, Russia is "not showing any signals" that it wants to end the war, Zelensky added.

"But I am confident that our alliance with Europe and the U.S. will help us increase pressure on Russia to move toward a diplomatic solution to this complex issue, which is so important for peace in Ukraine," Zelensky said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in late August that Washington has begun coordinating with European allies and Kyiv to develop a new security guarantee framework for Ukraine.

The model was expected to be finalized within 7 to 10 days following a high-level meeting at the White House on Aug. 18, which included European leaders, Zelensky, and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Rubio and Ukrainian Presidential Office Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak also discussed security guarantees during an advisers' meeting on Aug. 22.

That same day, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, visiting Kyiv, said the agreement would include two key components: bolstering the Ukrainian Armed Forces and providing U.S. and European guarantees aimed at deterring future Russian aggression.

On Aug. 24, U.S. Vice President JD Vance clarified that the security commitments would not involve deploying American troops to Ukraine.

The elephant in the room — Russia won’t agree to Ukraine security guarantees, Europe can’t enforce them

There’s a new buzzword in capitals across Europe and North America — “security guarantees” — a set of measures that are supposed to ensure that if the war in Ukraine stops, Russia won’t just simply reinvade Ukraine. Presidents and prime ministers across the two continents are scrambling to come up with a plan. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 28 that they’ll be “set out on paper next week.” But there are significant problems, not least that they rely on Russia agreeing to a ceasefire,

The Kyiv IndependentChris York