European leaders are pushing for “legally binding” assurances that western allies would jointly guarantee Ukraine’s security from a future Russia attack, as a core element of any peace deal to end the brutal conflict.
A Paris summit of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, attended by the leaders of Europe’s major powers, plus US officials, mapped out details security guarantees that could be offered to comfort Ukraine.
A draft of the joint statement, seen by The Irish Times, appeared to suggest the US would be ready to support European powers and other allies in “ensuring the future security of Ukraine”.
“We stand ready to commit to a system of politically and legally binding guarantees that will be activated once a ceasefire enters into force,” the draft joint statement said.
The meeting in the Élysée Palace was attended by a significant number of European leaders and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The US administration’s envoy tasked with helping to broker an end to the war, Steve Witkoff, and president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also attended the meeting.
Europe and Kyiv’s diplomatic efforts have for months focused on locking in ironclad guarantees that the US would help deter any future attempt to conquer Ukraine, in the event Mr Zelenskiy agreed to a truce in the full-scale war that began when Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.
European allies and US officials were negotiating a draft statement that included a commitment any peace deal would be backed by robust guarantees about Ukraine’s future security.
“Both the Coalition [of the Willing] partners and the United States will play a vital and closely co-ordinated role in the provision of these security guarantees,” a draft of the working paper being debated in Paris said.
The plans being mapped out for a settlement include the US leading work monitoring the observation of a ceasefire along the front line.
A special commission would be established to investigate any breaches of the truce and attribute responsibility, as well as “determine remedies”.
European governments reiterated their support for some type of armed force, made up of troops from contributing states, to reassure Ukraine.
“Co-ordinated military planning has been conducted to prepare for reassurance measures in the air, at sea and on land and for the regeneration of the armed forces of Ukraine,” the draft joint statement said.
“We confirmed that these reassurance measures should be strictly implemented at Ukraine’s request once a credible cessation of hostilities has taken place. These elements will be European-led, with the involvement also of non-European members of the Coalition, with US participation, including US capabilities such as intelligence and logistics, with a US commitment to support the force in case of attack,” the draft statement said.
Mr Trump has been upping the pressure on Ukraine to compromise and sign up to a ceasefire deal that would end the deadliest conflict on the Continent since the second World War.
Previous attempts by European governments and Mr Zelenskiy to shape the ongoing US-led peace negotiations have run up against opposition from Russia, who continue to demand Kyiv give up territory Ukrainian forces hold in the east, as the price of any truce.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee attended the Paris meeting on behalf of the Government, as Taoiseach Micheál Martin was in China on an official visit.