Ukraine's European, US Allies Meet In Paris On Security Guarantees

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Key European allies of Ukraine and top US envoys met in Paris Tuesday and were expected to announce Washington would lead ceasefire monitoring if a peace deal is reached to end Russia's war against its neighbour.

The summit of the so-called“Coalition of the Willing” is focused on security guarantees Ukraine requires in the event of a ceasefire to deter further Russian aggression.

A draft statement seen by AFP before the talks started said the United States would lead a“ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism” with European participation if a peace deal is agreed.

Washington would commit to“support” a European-led multinational force - deployed in Ukraine after any ceasefire -“in case of” a new attack by Russia, the draft statement added.

Representatives of 35 countries, including 27 heads of state or government - including the leaders of Britain, Canada, Germany and Italy - took part in the summit, which the French presidency said would demonstrate the“alignment” between Washington, Kyiv and European allies on security guarantees for Ukraine. US-led diplomatic efforts to reach a deal have ramped up in recent weeks. But this meeting is being held amid relentless fighting in Ukraine almost four years into Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

The capture by US forces of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, an ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has unsettled some European countries and added a potential new element of transatlantic uncertainty.

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner travelled to Paris for the meeting of the coalition, launched last year by France and Britain.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Elysee Palace for a one-to-one meeting before the summit.

Some members of the coalition aim to send a multinational force to Ukraine to deter any future Russian attack if the war sparked by Russia's February 2022 invasion ends.

But Ukraine and Russia remain at odds over territory in a post-war settlement.

Russia has also repeatedly opposed any Nato boots on the ground in Ukraine to monitor a halt in hostilities. European leaders have been at pains to not firmly condemn the US military operation to grab Maduro, while expressing discomfort at the implications for international law.

European allies US envoys Washington ceasefire

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