Talks on Ukraine guarantees to continue after Paris 'progress'

PARIS, January 8 ------ American and Ukrainian officials will continue talks over security guarantees for Kyiv, both sides said, after meetings with Western allies yielded breakthroughs, including a United States-led monitoring mechanism and a European multinational force to be deployed after any ceasefire with Russia.

Following the largest meeting yet of the so-called Coalition of the Willing in Paris, both European leaders and American envoys hailed progress that hid tensions in recent days over assertive US foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere under US President Donald Trump. But the security guarantees for Ukraine would only come into force once a ceasefire is agreed to end the almost four-year war sparked by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s intentions remain unclear.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said Ukrainian and American officials would continue talks on Wednesday, with Zelensky thanking Washington “for its readiness to provide a backstop in all areas.” The “robust” guarantees would see the US lead a truce monitoring mechanism with European participation, France’s President Emmanuel Macron said after Tuesday’s talks that gathered representatives of 35 countries, including 27 heads of state or government.

Macron, Zelensky and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a declaration of intent that foresees the UK, France and other European allies deploying troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire. The allies also agreed to establish a US-Ukraine-Coalition coordination cell in the French capital. But a promise that Washington would commit to “support” the European-led multinational force “in case of a new attack” by Russia, which was present in the draft statement, was not in the communique released on Tuesday evening.

Macron said Paris could deploy “several thousand” French troops to Ukraine after the war. Zelensky said the talks had “determined” which countries would take the lead on ensuring security and on reconstruction, as well as which forces were necessary and how they would be managed.

Source: manilatimes.net