Brussels – Paris: Europe and the Arabs

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is participating in the Coalition of the Will meeting, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The meeting is being held today, Tuesday, in Paris, according to a statement issued by NATO headquarters in Brussels. This meeting comes just two weeks before a meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of NATO member states, scheduled to take place in Brussels.

European Council President Antonio Costa is also participating in the Coalition of the Will meeting on Ukraine. According to a statement issued by the EU institutions in Brussels, the leaders participating in the Coalition of the Will will meet in Paris to assess the ongoing talks to establish a framework for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, enhance contributions to security guarantees, and agree on the next steps to provide further support. The European statement quoted Costa as saying, "The only way to force Russia to the negotiating table is to strengthen Ukraine." In December 2025, the European Council approved a €90 billion loan to Ukraine to cover its financial needs for 2026-2027. Ukraine will only repay this loan after Russia compensates it for the damage caused by its war of aggression.

According to media reports, diplomats and officials announced that Ukraine's allies will meet in Paris on Tuesday to finalize their contributions to future security guarantees for Kyiv, intended to reassure it in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join more than 27 leaders in the French capital, along with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as part of a broader effort to formulate a common Ukrainian, European, and American position that can then be conveyed to Russia.

Talks aimed at ending the conflict, which began nearly four years ago, have accelerated since November. However, there are few signs that Russia is prepared to accept the current proposals on the table, with the territorial issue remaining a major obstacle to negotiations and no indication of a de-escalation in the fighting between the two sides.

Diplomats said ahead of today's meeting that military officials, including the Ukrainian chief of staff, had come to Paris to draft concrete commitments so that leaders could offer political support. So far, military pledges have been largely vague.

A memo sent to the 35 invited delegations and seen by Reuters indicated that the meeting would focus on securing contributions to a multinational force for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, coordinated with Ukraine and supported by the United States.

The meeting also aims to agree on contributions to a broader set of security guarantees for Ukraine, including binding commitments in the event of another attack. Efforts will be made to ensure that the plans of the "coalition of the willing" supporting Ukraine are coordinated with the negotiating positions of Kyiv, the United States, and Europe. The memorandum also proposes agreeing on next steps to increase support for Ukraine and pressure Russia should Moscow refuse to engage in serious negotiations.

"We have reached an agreement on the practical details of security guarantees," a French presidential official told reporters before the summit. "We will explain how these will be structured and the need for a long-term commitment from all parties involved."

A senior European official said it was hoped that solidifying the alliance's guarantees would also help reinforce the United States' commitments, which have been broadly defined in bilateral discussions with Ukraine.

In his evening address to the nation on Sunday, Zelensky said the meetings in Europe should contribute to the defense of Ukraine and bring efforts closer to ending the war.

"Ukraine will be prepared for both possibilities: diplomacy, which is what we are pursuing, or more active defense if the pressure from our partners on Russia proves insufficient. Ukraine wants peace," he continued.