US backs security guarantees for Ukraine at summit of Kyiv’s allies in Paris
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At the coalition summit were (from left) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, US special envoy Steve Witkoff, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US envoy Jared Kushner (just seen).
PHOTO: EPA
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- The US pledged support for security guarantees for Ukraine, including binding commitments against future Russian attacks.
- Allies will participate in a US-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism, aiming to deter and defend Ukraine.
- European leaders highlighted unity with the US in supporting Ukraine, including a "Multinational Force for Ukraine".
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PARIS - The United States on Jan 6 for the first time backed a broad coalition of Ukraine’s allies in vowing to provide security guarantees that leaders said would include binding commitments to support the country if it is attacked by Russia again.
The pledge came at a summit in Paris of the “coalition of the willing” of mainly European nations to firm up security guarantees to reassure Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, which invaded its neighbour in 2014 and again at full scale in 2022.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff said after the summit that President Donald Trump “strongly stands behind security protocols”.
“Those security protocols are meant to... deter any attacks, any further attacks in Ukraine, and... if there are any attacks, they’re meant to defend, and they will do both. They are as strong as anyone has ever seen.”
A statement by coalition leaders also said that allies will participate in a proposed US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism.
(From left) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner delivering a press briefing after their Jan 6 talks.
PHOTO: EPA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, writing on Telegram after the meeting, said the agreements are “a signal of how seriously Europe and the entire coalition of the willing are ready to work for real security”.
But he added that it remained to be determined how the monitoring would work and how the Ukrainian army would be supported and financed.
Mr Zelensky thanked the United States “for its readiness to be a backstop in all areas – security guarantees, monitoring a ceasefire, and rebuilding”.
He said the Ukrainian delegation would continue its talks on key issues on Jan 7.
The statement was not explicitly endorsed by the United States and details of a US role were watered down from an earlier draft, notably removing language that outlined the use of US capabilities to support a multinational force in Ukraine.
But European officials hailed the involvement of the US envoys and their strong comments as evidence that Washington stood behind the security framework.
Talks to bring the almost four-year conflict to an end have accelerated since last November.
However, Moscow has yet to signal willingness to make concessions after Kyiv pushed for changes to a US proposal that initially backed Russia’s main demands.
Bringing guarantees
The text approved by the coalition on Jan 6 underscores how discussions on security guarantees have advanced in recent weeks, even though Moscow has given no public sign that it would accept such arrangements.
Until recently, much of the focus was on pledges of military aid for Ukraine’s forces and possible contributions to an international reassurance force.
But attention has now shifted to legally binding guarantees to come to Kyiv’s aid in the event of another attack by Moscow. The possibility of a military response is likely to trigger debate in many European countries, diplomats say.
“These commitments may include the use of military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives, adoption of additional sanctions,” the leaders’ statement said, adding that they would now “finalise binding commitments”.
French President Emmanuel Macron told a news conference after the summit: “We all want... peace (in Ukraine) to be fair, lasting and clear-eyed… we want this peace to have its guarantees.”
Europe, US cooperation
European leaders present at the meeting, including Mr Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed that the statement showed renewed unity between Europe and the US on helping Ukraine.
The leaders’ statement also pledged a European-led “Multinational Force for Ukraine... to support the rebuilding of Ukraine’s armed forces and support deterrence” with “the proposed support of the US”.
Kyiv has long said it cannot be safe without guarantees that are comparable to the NATO alliance’s mutual defence agreement, to deter Russia from attacking again.
Moscow wants any peace deal to bar Ukraine from military alliances. REUTERS
