European leaders affirmed their support for Ukraine at the Paris summit and agreed that sanctions on Russia should not be lifted until peace is achieved, but remained divided on the Franco-British plan.
President Emmanuel Macron announced a plan to send security forces from several European countries based in strategic areas in Ukraine in the event of a peace treaty with Russia. According to him, these forces would act as a deterrent against possible Russian aggression, he told reporters during a press conference after a summit on Ukraine in Paris on Thursday.
"These security forces are not intended to be peacekeeping forces as they will not replace the Armed Forces of Ukraine and will not be positioned on the front line, but in strategic cities and bases. This proposal will be worked on by our military chiefs of staff in the coming weeks to determine the map and format of these deployments. These security forces will in no way replace our efforts on NATO's eastern flank, but would come as a complement," Macron declared.
The issue of sending troops to Ukraine has created strong divisions among EU and NATO allies.
The French leader said not every country at the summit agreed with the plan. "It's not unanimous, but we don't need unanimity to achieve it ," he said.
Italy and Poland refused to participate in this plan, while Macron stressed that Europe must prepare for a scenario where it must act independently of the US.
The French president also announced the dispatch of a "Franco-British team to Ukraine" to "prepare the format of tomorrow's Ukrainian army" to analyze what kind of equipment Kiev would need to deter any further Russian attack.
The summit comes as the US has begun lifting some sanctions on Moscow and amid efforts to broker a ceasefire, spurred by pressure from US President Donald Trump to end Russia's war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
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