Macron said allies have committed to deploying troops “by land, sea or air” to guarantee Ukraine’s security after the fighting ends. “I have no doubt” about US willingness to participate in those guarantees, Macron said, according to BBC.
President Donald Trump spoke with several Western leaders after the meeting and, according to Macron, US backing for the force will be finalized “in the coming days.” Trump has suggested American support would “probably” come in the form of air cover rather than ground troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he and Trump have discussed securing “maximum protection for Ukraine’s skies.”
European officials say few countries are ready to commit soldiers on the ground and warn such moves could feed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s narrative against the West. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte dismissed that concern, saying, “Why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It’s a sovereign country. It’s not for them to decide.”
The US has already ruled out sending ground forces. Trump has urged instead that Europe tighten up economic pressure, calling for an end to Russian oil and gas imports.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Trump pressed EU leaders to “halt Russia’s war machine by economic means.” EU leaders have pledged to stop buying Russian energy by 2027, but a White House official noted Moscow had already earned billions from European fuel sales in the past year.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the commitments from allies as an “unbreakable pledge” to Ukraine, according to Downing Street. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed the “first priority” must be a ceasefire before wider peace talks can take place.
Despite the summit, Russia has continued deploying forces into Ukraine. Two civilians clearing mines were killed in a Russian strike in northern Ukraine on Thursday, Ukrainian officials reported.
Putin this week claimed there is “a certain light at the end of the tunnel” but rejected the idea of a preliminary ceasefire. He said Moscow would resolve its objectives “militarily” if no full agreement is reached.
Zelensky dismissed Putin’s suggestion of meeting in Moscow as “unacceptable,” calling it evidence Russia is not serious about negotiations.
Trump told CBS News he remains confident a settlement is possible. “I think we’re going to get it all straightened out,” he said.
