PARIS — Key Ukrainian allies are meeting in Paris to hammer out security guarantees for Kyiv and advance U.S.-brokered plans aimed at ending the war with Russia, with Washington’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner set to join the talks.
The gathering, convened by France and the United Kingdom under the banner of the “Coalition of the Willing,” brings together representatives from 35 countries, including Ireland. The French presidency said the aim is to demonstrate alignment between Washington, Kyiv and European partners on long-term guarantees for Ukraine as diplomatic efforts accelerate to halt Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
- Advertisement -
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the Élysée Palace for the summit, which is expected to include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Canada’s Mark Carney. U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, real estate executive Steve Witkoff, will attend alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to French officials. “We have succeeded in this exercise of realignment between Ukraine, Europe and America,” a French presidential adviser told reporters.
Leaders are poised to outline a shared vision for a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, including parameters, verification and responses to violations, officials said. They will also discuss options for deploying a multinational force to reassure Ukraine as part of a possible political agreement. Paris cautioned that decisions were still being finalized.
The push in Paris follows weekend talks in Kyiv, where security advisers from 15 countries — including Britain, France and Germany — met with representatives from NATO and the European Union. Witkoff joined that session virtually. Kyiv has said a security guarantees package is “90%” complete, though major gaps remain with Moscow over territory and enforcement.
Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine and is seeking full control of the eastern Donbas region as part of any deal, according to Ukrainian and Western officials. Kyiv has rejected ceding ground, arguing it would reward aggression and fail to deter future attacks. Zelensky’s government has repeatedly insisted that any agreement must include measures strong enough to prevent another invasion, including binding military assistance, air defenses, and sustained economic support.
Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee will attend the Paris meeting. She called the summit an opportunity to take stock and define how best to support Ukraine now and over the long term. “I will emphasise that EU membership is an important security guarantee for Ukraine, and underline Ireland’s strong support for progress on Ukraine’s EU accession path,” McEntee said, adding that pressure on Russia to end its war must be increased.
The “Coalition of the Willing,” launched last year by Paris and London, has become a central forum for synchronizing Western planning on Ukraine’s security. While NATO allies have coordinated extensive military aid since 2022, the Paris process is focused on a post-conflict architecture, including legal commitments, force posture and mechanisms to penalize violations. The involvement of senior U.S. envoys signals Washington’s intent to shape the contours of any settlement and the guarantees that would underpin it.
Despite the momentum, diplomats cautioned that agreement on paper will depend on Russia’s willingness to halt hostilities and accept external monitoring. With fighting ongoing and Moscow demanding political concessions Kyiv has ruled out, any ceasefire framework is expected to include snap-back provisions, surveillance and rapid-response options designed to track and deter breaches.
For Ukraine’s backers, the stakes are twofold: to help Kyiv secure a just peace that restores sovereignty and to build a security structure durable enough to prevent a repeat of the 2014 and 2022 offensives. As negotiations deepen, officials say, the contours of those guarantees — and the credibility of the coalition behind them — will determine whether any truce can hold.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
