European allies pledge a ‘reassurance force’ for Ukraine if a ceasefire is agreed

Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
3h ago
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron, and Keir Starmer signed a declaration of intent in Paris for a multinational “reassurance force” to support Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction if a ceasefire with Russia is agreed.
European allies pledge a ‘reassurance force’ for Ukraine if a ceasefire is agreed
A What happened
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron, and Keir Starmer signed a declaration of intent in Paris for the deployment of multinational forces to support Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction if a ceasefire with Russia is agreed. Macron said “several thousand” French soldiers could be deployed to Ukraine to maintain peace and said the forces would not be engaged in combat. Starmer said allies will participate in US-led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire and support the long-term provision of armaments for Ukraine’s defence. Russia gave no immediate response, and Vladimir Putin has ruled out any deployment of troops from NATO countries on Ukrainian soil.

Key insights

  • 1

    Coalition documents set out force management and command: Zelenskyy said the coalition produced a joint declaration and a trilateral declaration, and said it was defined how the forces will be managed and at what levels command will be exercised.

  • 2

    Proposed deployment framed as non-combat reassurance: Macron said the force would not be engaged in combat and called it a “force of reassurance”.

  • 3

    Peace deal expected to require compromises: Merz said Ukraine and its European allies will have to accept “compromises” and said there will not be “textbook diplomatic solutions” to end the war.

Takeaways

European allies advanced plans for security guarantees and a non-combat multinational force for Ukraine contingent on a ceasefire, while Russia maintained that a ceasefire requires a comprehensive settlement.

Topics

World & Politics International Affairs Diplomacy Security & Defense

Stay ahead with OwlBrief

Daily briefs that distill the world’s important events — clear, verified, and designed for understanding.

Newsletter

Get OwlBrief in your inbox

A fast, high-signal digest of the day’s most important events — plus the context that makes them make sense.

Quick to read. Useful all day.