French President declares: More than 20 countries pledge to deploy troops in Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron said that 26 countries have officially committed to deploying deterrent forces in Ukraine after the ceasefire.
"There are still some countries that are still considering their position, but 26 countries have committed to deploying troops in Ukraine as a security force, or a presence on land, at sea or in the air, to protect the safety of the territories and Ukraine immediately after the ceasefire or the establishment of peace," Mr. Macron said at a press conference after a meeting of the coalition of voluntary countries in Paris.
The meeting of the so-called "coalition of the willing" took place on September 4 in a joint format, co-chaired by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting was attended by Vladimir Zelensky.
Special Counsel to the President Steve Witkoff also attended the meeting, but left 20 minutes after it began.
After the meeting, European leaders held talks with US President Donald Trump.
Security commitments to Ukraine
On August 18, Mr. Trump held a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky in Washington. After the bilateral meeting, they were joined by several EU leaders. The parties discussed security guarantees for Kiev, which European countries intend to provide in coordination with the United States.
The next day, the US President announced that France, Germany and the UK wanted to deploy troops in Ukraine, but according to him, the US military would not be present there.
At the end of August, The Telegraph reported, citing sources, that Mr. Trump was considering an alternative: according to the press, he was negotiating with European countries about deploying American private military companies to Ukraine as part of a long-term peace plan.
As President Vladimir Putin stated yesterday, every country has the right to choose its own security system, including Ukraine, but this cannot be done at the expense of Russia's interests.
