What to know about Ukraine allies’ security guarantees as the war nears 4 years

Asked Wednesday whether Western European allies had agreed to come to Ukraine’s defense if Russia attacked again after any peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “So far, I have not received a clear, unambiguous answer” to that question.

It was the largest such gathering yet, with two U.S. envoys attending in person for first time, as allies moved from planning contingencies toward spelling out what deterrence might actually look like.

The core agreement

Allies backed a proposal to provide Ukraine with multilayered security guarantees after any ceasefire or peace settlement.

A joint statement said Ukraine’s armed forces would remain “the first line of defense and deterrence,” with partners committing to long-term military assistance and armaments even after fighting ends.

“We stand ready to commit to a system of politically and legally binding guarantees that will be activated once a ceasefire enters into force,” the statement said.

French President Emmanuel Macron called it a “significant step” toward ending Russia’s invasion.

There was no immediate comment from Russian officials on the Paris meeting.

What allies committed to

Leaders said they would continue supplying equipment and training to Ukraine’s front-line forces and back them up with air, land and sea military support aimed at deterring renewed Russian aggression.

The size, structure and financing of any supporting forces were not made public, and many elements remain to be negotiated.

Allies said they would participate in U.S.-led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said the United States “strongly stands behind” security guarantees, without detailing what Washington would provide militarily.

Zelenskyy on Wednesday urged the U.S. to exert greater pressure on Moscow. “The main thing is for Ukraine to be a priority for (the U.S.), to find tools to pressure Russia,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Forces and deployments

No immediate troop deployments were announced.

In the event of a ceasefire, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom and France “will establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine’s defensive needs.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said France was ready to send “several thousand” troops as part of the multinational force but said they would not be on the front line but rather “far away from the contact zone.”

Macron has previously mentioned Kyiv and Odesa as possible locations to station soldiers. At least 20 nations have pledged to deploy troops on land, at sea or in the air, he said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country is prepared to participate in security guarantees and that the way in which it does so remains open, but that “we are in principle not ruling anything out.”

He suggested that Germany could station troops in countries bordering Ukraine.

Any European troop deployments would face political hurdles and would require approval from lawmakers in many countries.

Zelenskyy’s assessment

Zelenskyy said progress was made in the talks but stressed that commitments must still be ratified by individual countries before they can be implemented.

“We determined what countries are ready to take leadership in the elements of security guarantees on the ground, in the air, and at sea, and in restoration,” Zelenskyy said. “We determined what forces are needed. We determined how these forces will be operated and at what levels of command.”

He said details of how monitoring would work remain to be determined, as do the size and financing of Ukraine’s army.

Starmer’s warning and future steps

Starmer described the talks as making “excellent progress” but cautioned that “the hardest yards are still ahead,” noting that Russian attacks on Ukraine continue. He said peace would require compromise from Moscow and added that “Putin is not showing that he is ready for peace.”

The measures discussed would take effect only after a ceasefire or broader settlement and after national approval processes. Zelenskyy had previously said “not everyone is ready” to commit forces and noted that support could also come through weapons, technology and intelligence.

Russia insists there can be no ceasefire without a comprehensive settlement and has ruled out NATO troop deployments on Ukrainian soil.

Ukraine has warned that any ceasefire without firm guarantees could give Moscow time to regroup and attack again.

What it means

The framework agreed on in Paris stops short of binding commitments, leaving Ukraine dependent on how quickly allies turn plans into enforceable guarantees. Political approval hurdles, unresolved force structures, financing questions and strained transatlantic dynamics could delay or dilute those pledges.

French officials said 35 participants attended in person, including 27 heads of state or government.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who participated in the meeting, said “this does not mean we will make peace, but peace would not be possible without the progress that we have made today.”

For Ukraine, the central risk is that deterrence remains theoretical while the war continues.

Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to this report.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine