Macron: Ukrainian allies agree on 'strong' security guarantees for Kyiv

(Patria) - European and American allies of Ukraine agreed on Tuesday on "strong" security guarantees for Kyiv that will come into effect after a final ceasefire in the Russian war against the pro-Western country, which would mean that the United States would lead the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, French President Emmanuel Macron said, AFP reported last night.

Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky signed a declaration of intent which envisages that the United Kingdom, France, and other European allies will deploy troops to Ukrainian territory after the ceasefire.

Macron said after the meeting in Paris that these steps represent "strong security guarantees for a firm and lasting peace", welcoming the "operational convergence" among allies, including the United States.

Security guarantees are "the key to ensuring that a peace agreement can never mean the surrender of Ukraine and that a peace agreement can never mean a new threat to Ukraine" from Russia, Macron said.

In the context of tensions between Europe and the US over Greenland and Venezuela, US envoy Steve Witkoff, who was present at the talks in Paris, said that "a lot of progress" had been made.

The allies have "largely completed" the agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine "so that the people of Ukraine know that when this is over, it is over forever", he said, accompanied by President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who was also present at the talks.

Witkoff said that "ground options" would be the most critical issue and "we hope we can reach some compromises on that".

Starmer, for his part, said that after the ceasefire, the United Kingdom and France would establish "military centers" throughout Ukraine and "build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine's defense needs".

But he warned: "We can only reach a peace agreement if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is willing to compromise. Putin is not showing that he is ready for peace."

"This only strengthens our resolve," he added.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose country has been cautious about contributing troops to multinational forces, said that German forces could join to monitor the ceasefire in Ukraine, but based in a neighboring country.

"We will certainly have to make compromises," he said in Paris, adding that "we will not achieve textbook diplomatic solutions".