PARIS – 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, which lasted until just before 4 p.m., went twice as long as scheduled.
According to a White House official cited by Reuters, Trump told European leaders they must stop purchasing Russian oil, which he stated is helping Moscow finance its war against Ukraine. The former U.S. President, participating in the coalition’s call, also emphasized that European leaders should exert economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts. Trump claimed Moscow had received €1.1 billion from the EU for fuel sales in the past year.
Following the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on X that the coalition is giving concrete form to long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and ensuring current support for its Defense Forces. He noted the coalition is “very active in the military field,” with concrete steps already taken. Zelensky clarified that partner nations’ armed forces would be involved in Ukraine’s security guarantees, with an understanding on the approximate number of nations that have agreed to contribute. However, he pointed out that “European weapons production lines are not working enough” and require greater investment to reach full capacity.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that 26 countries in the Coalition of the Willing have committed to sending troops to Ukraine as reassurance forces following the signing of a peace deal. He clarified their goal is “not to make war but to guarantee peace and a ceasefire, and prevent a new attack.” This is a commitment Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni did not join. A note from Palazzo Chigi reiterated Italy’s “unavailability to send soldiers to Ukraine,” instead promoting a collective security mechanism inspired by NATO’s Article 5.
Poland also rejected sending troops. Polish Premier Donald Tusk stated, “Poland, as we have repeatedly emphasized, does not plan to send troops to Ukraine, even after the war. We are responsible for logistics.”
Macron explained that Italy, Poland, and Germany are among the 26 countries participating in the security guarantees, with contributions ranging from “rebuilding the Ukrainian army, to deploying land, sea, and air troops, or by making NATO bases available.”
Macron also stated that Russia has lost over one million soldiers, killed or wounded, to conquer less than 1% of Ukrainian territory since November 2022. He called Moscow’s demand for Ukrainian withdrawal as a peace precondition “immoral, illegal, and impossible,” warning that if Russia continues to refuse concrete peace talks, further sanctions with the U.S. will be adopted.
For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Paris summit confirmed the allies’ “unbreakable commitment” to Ukraine and reiterated that Vladimir Putin “cannot be trusted.”
The Russian government, through Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, condemned the security guarantees as “absolutely unacceptable,” claiming they aim to preserve Ukraine as a “springboard for terror” against Russia. She stated Russia “will not discuss the idea of a foreign military intervention in Ukraine in any form.”
In related comments, Zelensky addressed a reported invitation to Moscow, saying, “I believe that if you don’t want a meeting, you should invite me to Moscow.” He added that while talk of a meeting is positive, he does not yet see Russia’s willingness to end the war.