French President Emmanuel Macron said the 26 countries had pledged to ensure Ukraine's security after the conflict ended. He made the statement at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Elysee Palace in Paris on September 4, after a summit of leaders of 35 countries in the "goodwill alliance". The meeting focused on completing security guarantees for Ukraine and calling for support from US President Donald Trump.
According to Mr. Macron, security measures will be deployed as soon as the conflict ends. Many countries will send forces on land, sea and air to Ukraine, while some others will only support through training and equipment provision. Mr. Macron did not specify the number of soldiers participating or the full list of countries.
Some European leaders have publicly stated their stance. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni affirmed that he will not send troops to Ukraine, but is ready to participate in supervising the ceasefire and training Ukrainian troops outside the territory.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said the country has no plans to send troops to Ukraine, but could participate in activities to search for ice in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, France and the UK have expressed their intention to deploy forces to Ukraine after the conflict ends.
President Zelensky stressed that this was the first time such a serious and specific collective commitment had been made. He said that 26 countries have agreed to this initiative, but the level of participation of each country still needs to be clarified. Germany said it would only decide on military commitments when conditions were right, especially the role of the United States.
In a phone call with Trump after the summit, European and Ukrainian leaders discussed US involvement. A White House official revealed that Mr. Trump has asked Europe to stop buying Russian oil. However, the US has not yet made a specific commitment to ensuring security.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Russia to continue a special campaign of force if a peace deal is not reached. He also denied the possibility of a peace deal that would mark NATO countries sending troops to Ukraine.
