Paris – Ukraine allies from all over Europe gathered to speak in Paris on Thursday about how to strengthen kyiv’s hand and his military Push for a high fire with Russiaand consider the proposals for display European troops in the country in conjunction with any peace agreement.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, organizes the leaders of almost 30 countries more NATO bosses and the European Union. The summit reaches a crucial situation in the More than three years of warwith intensifications of diplomatic efforts to negotiate the cessation of the students, promoted by Pressure from the president of the United States, Donald Trump To finish the fight.
But the conflict is becoming furious.
Before the leaders gathered in the luxury of the French presidential palace, the attacks of Russian unmanned airplanes during the night wounded more than 20 people and a heavy bombing on Thursday afternoon killed a person and eliminated electricity in parts of Kherson, Ukrainian officials said.
Negotiated agreements in the United States this week To safeguard shipping in the Black Sea And last week to stop Long -range strike on energy infrastructure They were received as a first step towards peace. But Ukraine and Russia do not agree with the details and have accused of violations of treatment, foreshadowing a long and controversial process ahead.
France and the United Kingdom are pressing a separate initiative to build a nations coalition provided in one way or another to support the deployment of a European armed force in Ukraine, with the aim of ensuring any peace agreement by deter Russia to attack the country again.
Some European countries feel more comfortable with a potential deployment than others, especially since a great stranger is if Trump would allow US forces and intelligence agencies to support any European contingent with air and logistics support and other assistance.
Building a force large enough to act as a credible deterrence: United Kingdom officials have spoken of 10,000 to 30,000 troops, it would also be a considerable effort for the nations that shrunk their military after the cold war, but now they are praying. There would also be questions to resolve who would order strength and how to answer an important violation by Russia of any peace agreement.
The Office of the United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which is promoting the European initiative together with Macron, said that the military planners of Europe and beyond have been deepening details about how such a force could be put together, examining “the complete range of European military capacities, including airplanes, tanks, troops, intelligence and logistics.”
Given Trump’s lasting pressure on European nations to increase military spending and trust US less, which dates back to his first presidency, the proposed contingent also looks as a proof of Europe’s capacity to defend himself and their interests.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, published an image from inside the summit of his and other leading leaders together with the subtitle: “Europe knows how to defend themselves. We must prove it.”
Macron said Wednesday that the proposed European force could be deployed in “important cities, strategic bases” in Ukraine and that it could “respond” to a Russian attack if Moscow launched one.
Macron did not specify what type of answer he imagined. But he suggested that a Russian attack may not remain unanswered, despite the fact that European troops would not be deployed in the front.
“If there was a generalized aggression against the Ukrainian soil, these armies, in fact, would be under attack and then it is our usual participation framework,” Macron said. “Our soldiers, when they are committed and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it.
“So we are not in the front line, we are not going to fight, but we are there to guarantee a lasting peace. It is a pacifist approach,” he said. “The only ones who, at that time, would activate a conflict, a bellicose situation, would be the Russians if they decided to launch an aggression again.”
The meeting in Paris occurred when Russia demanded to raise sanctions to fulfill its terms for the high black sea fire.
The sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe have punished the economy of Russia and have limited their access to global markets.
Zelenskyy accused Moscow of trying to add conditions to what should be an unconditional agreement.
While the White House said it would help restore Russia’s access to the world fertilizer market and agricultural exports, it did not validate Moscow’s conditions. The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, said that Russia’s demands would be evaluated and presented to Trump.
There has been a growing opposition choir in Europe to lift the sanctions, which remain its main leverage against Moscow.
António Costa, president of the European Council that represents the 27 EU member states, said that the sanctions are crucial to support Ukraine and achieve lasting peace.
“This means maintaining the pressure on Russia through the sanctions,” Costa said Thursday.
As Fire’s high efforts accumulate, Ukraine allies in Europe are working to strengthen kyiv’s hand militarily. Its objective is to allow you to continue fighting until any broad peace strengthens and also turns the Ukrainian army into the first line of defense against any future Russian aggression.
Macron announced a new defense aid package for Ukraine that said it was worth 2 billion euros ($ 2.15 billion) and will include light tanks, air defense and anti -tank missiles and other armaments and support.
The attacks of Russian unmanned airplanes during the night wounded at least 18 people in the Jharkiv region and three people in Dnipro, authorities said. The bombing in a frontline community in the Zaporizhzhia region knocked out the electricity and telephone coverage, said Regional Chief Ivan Fedorov on Telegram.
Zelenskyy said attacks were additional evidence that the United States and Europe should not relieve sanctions to Moscow.
“Russia is killing every day and prolonging this war,” Zelenskyy said on social networks. “The American proposal for a high unconditional fire has been on the table for half a month.”
Separately, the general staff of the Ukrainian army said that his attack at the Engels Military Aerodrome in Russia on March 20 had destroyed 96 Air-Aire cruise missiles and important aviation fuel reserves.
The satellite images taken the next day by Maxar Technologies seemed to show damage to the ammunition and the storage of weapons in Engels, the main base of the strategic bombers with nuclear capacity of Russia.
___
Illia Novikov contributed to this Kyiv, Ukraine report.
