European allies said they would provide long-term security guarantees for Ukraine but will not finalize them until they have confirmation of US support, the French presidency said Tuesday. The “Coalition of the Willing,” set up in February, has detailed the security measures to enhance Ukraine’s armed forces, including the deployment of an international reassurance force in no-contact zones after a ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are meeting with almost 30 leaders this week, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
The Élysée indicated Europe is ready to assume responsibilities but expects Washington to provide a backstop relating to missile defense and intelligence sharing. “We are willing and able, and we are ready,” said a French official. US President Donald Trump has ruled out American troops but indicated he would cover European efforts and support them with intelligence. His comments come on the heels of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and European leaders in Washington. The meeting in Paris follows Trump’s deadline for a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy passed, and other European leaders want to show they met their deadlines as well and expect Trump to follow through and do something if Putin does not meet various threats of punishment. Putin is in Beijing alongside China’s Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and India’s Narendra Modi, together for WWII commemorations—an optics that causes concern for those in Western capitals.
