Welcoming the “significant” progress made in US efforts to secure “a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, the leaders of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the UK and the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission announced at the end of a meeting in Berlin on Monday 15 December that they and the US leaders were committed “to work together to provide robust security guarantees and economic recovery support measures for Ukraine in the context of an agreement on ending the war”.
In a joint declaration, the European leaders pledged to set up a ‘multinational force Ukraine’ “led by Europe”, made up of contributions from volunteer nations within the framework of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ and supported by the United States. “It will assist in the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine”, the text states.
The leaders also promise that they will provide sustained and significant support to Ukraine “to build its armed forces, which should remain at a peacetime level of 800,000 to be able to deter conflict and defend Ukraine’s territory”.
A “US-led” ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism with international participation to provide early warning of any future attacks and to attribute and respond to any violations, as well as a deconfliction mechanism to work on mutual de-escalation actions that can be taken to benefit all parties, will also be put in place.
In addition, the leaders commit themselves to a “legally binding commitment”, and in accordance with national procedures, to “take measures to restore peace and security in the case of a future armed attack”, measures that may include the use of armed force, intelligence and logistical assistance, and economic and diplomatic action, according to the statement.
Investment in Ukraine’s future prosperity, including “making major resources available for recovery and reconstruction, mutually beneficial trade agreements, and taking into account the need for Russia to compensate Ukraine for the damage caused” and strong support for Ukraine’s EU membership are also mentioned.
“It is now incumbent upon Russia to show willingness to work towards a lasting peace by agreeing to President Trump’s peace plan and to demonstrate their commitment to end the fighting by agreeing to a ceasefire”, the leaders warned, pledging to work on rapid progress in the days and weeks ahead to jointly conclude and approve an agreement for a lasting peace.
To see the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/k0i (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)