High hopes of long-term binding security commitments for Ukraine at Paris meeting

Ukraine hoped for long-term security commitments at a meeting on Tuesday with dozens of European leaders hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were scheduled to attend the Paris talks in person for the first time, signalling US willingness to engage with European demands to protect Ukrainian sovereignty.

Diplomatic activity on Ukraine peace talks has intensified in the past months, with the US holding separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian negotiators but generally sidelining European states.

“It is really important that European countries take part in talks on a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine,” wrote Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on X as he landed in Paris. “After all, these discussions are also about the future of European security as a whole.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz participate in the 'coalition of the willing' summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris on January 6. Reuters

The so-called “coalition of the willing”, a group of 35 states that support Ukraine, will agree that security guarantees ​must include binding commitments to support Kyiv in the case ‌of future armed attack by Russia, a draft statement seen by Reuters said.

“These commitments ​may include the use of military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives, adoption of additional sanctions,” said the draft, which must be approved by leaders.

Before the talks, an adviser to Mr Macron said: “We have now converged on the operational modalities of these security guarantees.” He added that they would make public solely “what military secrecy allows us to say”.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the meeting in the French capital as part ⁠of broader efforts to put together