A lengthy phone call between members of the “Coalition of the Willing,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and former U.S. President Donald Trump concluded at the Élysée Palace. The call lasted until just before 4 p.m., doubling its anticipated duration.
According to a White House official cited by Reuters, Trump told European leaders that Europe must stop buying Russian oil, which he stated is helping Moscow fund its war against Ukraine. Participating in the “Coalition of the Willing” call, the former U.S. President also emphasized that European leaders must exert economic pressure on China for financing Russia’s war efforts. The tycoon claimed Moscow had received €1.1 billion from the EU in a year from fuel sales.
Following the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on his X profile, “We are making long-term security guarantees for Ukraine concrete and are already ensuring support for our Ukrainian Defense Forces.” He clarified that the coalition “is also very active in the military field, there are already concrete steps. Security guarantees are not only for the future but also for the present.” Zelensky added, however, that “European weapons production lines are not working enough” and require greater investment to operate at full capacity.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that “to date, 26 countries of this Coalition of the Willing have committed to sending troops to Ukraine as reassurance forces from the day after a peace is signed.” He clarified that their objective “is not to wage war but to guarantee peace and a ceasefire, and to prevent a new attack.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did not join this commitment. A note from Palazzo Chigi reported that she “again illustrated the proposal for a collective security defense mechanism inspired by Article 5 of the Washington Treaty” and reiterated “Italy’s unwillingness to send soldiers to Ukraine.” The Italian government stated that the call with Trump reaffirmed “a sense of unity in reiterating the common goal of a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” achievable through continued support for Ukraine, pursuing a cessation of hostilities, maintaining collective pressure on Russia, and defining solid security guarantees.
Macron explained that “Italy, Poland, and Germany are among the 26 countries” participating in the security guarantees, “with a contribution ranging from the regeneration of the Ukrainian army, to the deployment of land, sea, and air troops, or by making bases available.” He declined to give details but confirmed all three are “important contributors.”
Macron stated, “We do not know the precise balance of this war. But we know that Russia has lost in its design over a million soldiers, killed or wounded, to conquer less than 1% of Ukrainian territory since November 2022.” He asserted that “the problem is Moscow and this war of aggression,” calling Moscow’s demand for Ukrainian withdrawal as a peace precondition “immoral, illegal, and impossible.” Macron warned Moscow that if it continues to refuse concrete peace negotiations, further sanctions with the U.S. would be adopted. He assured that Americans were “very clear” on their participation in security guarantees, with finalization expected “in the coming days.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Paris summit confirmed the allies’ “unbreakable commitment” to Ukraine. He repeated that Vladimir Putin “cannot be trusted” and denounced what he called Moscow’s “indiscriminate attacks” on Kyiv last week, which also “caused damage to the British Council offices and the EU diplomatic delegation.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez participated via videoconference after being forced to return to Madrid due to a malfunction on his state aircraft. Government sources noted he highlighted the importance of maintaining pressure on Moscow to accept a ceasefire and advance toward a just and lasting peace, stressing that any agreement must account for the will of the Ukrainian people.
Prior to the meeting, Trump stated in an interview rebroadcast on his Truth account, “I have followed the situation, I’ve seen it and I’ve spoken with President Putin and President Zelensky. Something will happen, but they are not ready yet. But something will happen. We will manage it.”
The meeting, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer remotely, was attended by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and numerous European and international leaders.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media that the meeting would allow them to “finalize robust security guarantees for Ukraine,” working on fundamental tasks to transform Ukraine into a “steel porcupine,” build a U.S.-backed multinational force, and strengthen Europe’s defensive position.
In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the security guarantees “a threat to the European continent and absolutely unacceptable,” alleging they aim to preserve Ukraine as a “springboard for terror” against Russia. She stated Russia “will not discuss the idea of foreign military intervention in Ukraine in any form” and that a potential U.S. sale of over 3,000 missiles contradicts diplomatic conflict resolution efforts. She also dismissed rumors of a Kremlin hybrid attack causing European Commission President von der Leyen’s plane to land using paper maps as having “the flavor of desperation.”
NATO Secretary General Marc Rutte responded to Zakharova, emphasizing, “It is not Russia” that decides on the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine.