Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has garnered support from the heads of state of Western nations for security guarantees if a peace deal calling for a ceasefire is signed between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This push comes as US President Donald Trump appears to have taken a brief hiatus from leading the peace negotiations.
On Thursday, September 4, 2025, a meeting was held in Paris, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as part of the “Coalition of the Willing.”
The summit, hosted at the Élysée Palace, included leaders from over 30 countries, primarily from Europe, with some participating in person and others joining via video link.
Zelenskyy Meets Western Allies in Paris
Key participants included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The meeting focused on discussing security guarantees for Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression and addressing Russia’s ongoing refusal to engage in peace efforts amid the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and escalated in 2022.
Ukraine is reportedly seeking a “reassurance force” consisting of British, French, and other European troops to deter future Russian aggression following a potential truce.
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Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, stated on September 4, 2025, after meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and other national security advisers in Paris, that security guarantees for Ukraine “must be strong and effective — in the air, at sea, on land, and in cyberspace.”
His remarks aligned with discussions at the Élysée Palace summit, where European leaders and Zelenskyy stressed the need for long-term military support and robust security guarantees.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stressed that a U.S. security guarantee is “the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again,” highlighting its importance for a lasting peace deal.
Trump Hopeful Ukraine-Russia War Will End
President Trump had previously suggested that the U.S. would support a European peacekeeping plan but ruled out deploying U.S. soldiers to Ukraine, indicating that the U.S. might assist with air defense or intelligence instead.
For Trump, the Ukraine–Russia war has proven far more difficult to resolve than his earlier claim of fixing it in 24 hours.
Despite growing disappointment and frustration with Putin, he has avoided imposing new sanctions.
After his efforts to arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy stalled, he acknowledged that there is still a gap between the leaders. However, he expressed confidence that they will make progress eventually.
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Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the conflict has continued, with multiple attempts at peace negotiations failing to yield a lasting resolution. Early talks in 2022, including those in Belarus and Turkey, collapsed due to differing demands, such as Russia’s insistence on Ukraine’s neutrality and territorial concessions, which Ukraine rejected.
Subsequent ceasefire proposals, like the Easter truce in April 2022, were also unsuccessful; Ukraine agreed to the proposal, but Russia refused, citing strategic concerns.
In May 2025, direct peace talks resumed in Istanbul, but no breakthrough occurred, as Russia maintained maximalist demands, including restrictions on Ukrainian sovereignty, which Ukraine found unacceptable.
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