On September 4, Paris hosted a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. The event featured President Volodymyr Zelensky, French officials, and Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump himself joined by phone. Participants reached political consent on security guarantees; legal finalization is forthcoming.
President Macron announced that 26 countries pledged various forms of support — from deployment of contingents to training and supply of arms. Details about the number of troops remain confidential, but numbers up to 25,000-30,000 are being discussed. Europe, the US, the UK, and allies are also considering new sanctions on Russia if peace talks are derailed.
Other discussion topics included deployment of security forces in cities and ports, as well as air defense upgrades. Macron and Zelensky emphasized that guarantees are mainly political rather than military. The US will not deploy its troops, but will intensify intelligence and technical support. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Poland would provide logistics, but not troops, even after the fighting ends.
During the talks, Trump called for Europe to stop buying Russian oil and to increase economic pressure on China. European countries remain active in energy trade with Russia, spending over €1 billion on Russian energy in 2024, including liquefied gas.
Domestically, Ukraine announced progress in developing FPV7 and FPV9 ballistic missiles by FirePoint. Weapon production is increasing though large-scale deployments are not imminent. Ukraine is set to receive additional air defense support from Germany and other partners.
Meanwhile, front-line developments remain tense: a Russian missile struck a facility in Chernihiv, resulting in casualties. Ukraine's Parliament is considering laws to increase military accountability and parliamentary transparency.
In summary, Ukraine will mostly receive political security guarantees, with limited foreign troop presence and enhanced defense cooperation. More EU sanctions and future military support depend on Western decisions.
