The 35 members of the Coalition of the Willing, meeting in Paris on Tuesday 6 January, pledged “robust security guarantees for a solid and lasting peace in Ukraine”, in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US special envoys.
In a statement, the members say they “stand ready” to commit to a system of “politically and legally binding” guarantees, which will be activated as soon as a ceasefire comes into force. A US/Ukraine/Coalition coordination unit will be set up at the Coalition’s operational headquarters in Paris.
One of the security guarantees that has been made public is participation in a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism that will be led by the United States: for Volodymyr Zelensky, US support is “essential”. In addition, “deterrence is an essential element; these are tools that will make it possible to prevent any further Russian aggression”, he said at a press conference. A special commission will be set up to examine any violations, assign responsibility for them and remedy them.
The ‘Coalition’ is also committed to supporting the Ukrainian armed forces, which will be in the front line of defence and deterrence, with the provision of long-term military assistance and “essential” weaponry to ensure that their capabilities are maintained. “We have planned, on the basis of a proactive army format of 800,000 men, the training, the capabilities and all the resources to ensure that this army can deter any new aggression”, explained the French President, Emmanuel Macron.
According to the statement, support will include: - support for financing the purchase of weapons and continued cooperation with Ukraine on its national budget to finance the armed forces; - access to defence depots which can deliver rapid additional assistance in the case of a future armed attack, or practical and technical support in building defensive fortifications.
The ‘Coalition’ will continue to develop and deepen “mutually beneficial” defence cooperation with Ukraine, in particular on training, joint industrial production, including the use of relevant European instruments, and intelligence cooperation. On the X social network, the President of the European Council, António Costa, announced that the EU would contribute to efforts to guarantee security, in particular through its civilian and military EU missions on the ground.
The members of the Coalition are also announcing the creation of a multinational force for Ukraine, which will support the reconstitution of the armed forces and deterrence. “Coordinated 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 statement said.
The Presidents of Ukraine and France and the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, also signed a Declaration of Intent between the three countries concerning, among other things, the deployment of multinational forces in support of defence. “This is an essential part of our unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine over the long term. It paves the way for the legal framework to allow British, French and partner forces to operate on Ukrainian soil to secure Ukrainian air and maritime space and to regenerate the Ukrainian armed forces for the future”, the British Prime Minister stressed.
Emmanuel Macron spoke of a potential deployment of “several thousand men”. Italy has warned that it will not send troops to Ukraine, and Germany that it may send troops to NATO countries neighbouring Ukraine.
Reinsurance measures will be implemented “scrupulously” at Kyiv’s request “as soon as a credible cessation of hostilities has been achieved”. These actions will be led by Europe, with the support of non-European ‘Coalition’ states and the participation of the United States.
Binding commitments - which have yet to be legally translated - will be made to support Kyiv in the event of another armed attack by Russia in order to restore peace. This could include the use of military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives and the adoption of additional sanctions.
The ‘Coalition’ meeting was also an opportunity to discuss issues relating to reconstruction and economic support.
Despite the Coalition’s commitments on Wednesday 7 January, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he had not “received a clear and unequivocal response” from the Europeans on how they would react in concrete terms in the event of another attack.
In the morning of the same day, the US and Ukrainian delegations were still in Paris to discuss the peace plan, in particular the territorial issue.
To see the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/k6u (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)