Paris' summit: EU leaders discuss "reassurance force" plan
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Yesterday, the Ukraine summit concluded in Paris, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and co-chaired by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with the participation of leaders from 29 countries, including Turkey, along with European and NATO officials.
EU approach to Russian demands
According to some EU sources, European leaders remain skeptical about the possibility that Russia will respect the partial ceasefire. There is also unanimity on sanctions: European leaders have no intention of meeting the Kremlin’s request to remove sanctions and reintegrate Russian banks into the Swift system — at least not until the conflict is over.
The "Reassurance Plan" and Italy’s skepticism
During the summit, the so-called "coalition of the willing" discussed at length the plan, which would be implemented once the conflict ends, for the deployment of “reassurance forces” in Ukraine. Through this, European states—on a voluntary basis—could send troops to strategic locations to act as a deterrent in the event of potential Russian attacks.
However, Macron clarified that this will not involve peacekeeping operations and that the troops will not be on the front lines but in the rear, in case of attacks by the Russian army once a total ceasefire is reached. Among the leaders who view the proposal with skepticism is Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, who rules out the possibility of sending Italian troops to Ukraine unless a mission is organized under the mandate of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, discussions also covered new aid packages for Ukraine, which will receive 2 billion euros, as announced by Macron, and could also be included in the 150 billion Rearm Europe plan. Additionally, Kyiv will receive another 18 billion from the European Union—coming from the EU’s share of the G7’s 50 billion mega-loan—and a further 18 billion from individual member states.
EU approach to Russian demands
According to some EU sources, European leaders remain skeptical about the possibility that Russia will respect the partial ceasefire. There is also unanimity on sanctions: European leaders have no intention of meeting the Kremlin’s request to remove sanctions and reintegrate Russian banks into the Swift system — at least not until the conflict is over.
The "Reassurance Plan" and Italy’s skepticism
During the summit, the so-called "coalition of the willing" discussed at length the plan, which would be implemented once the conflict ends, for the deployment of “reassurance forces” in Ukraine. Through this, European states—on a voluntary basis—could send troops to strategic locations to act as a deterrent in the event of potential Russian attacks.
However, Macron clarified that this will not involve peacekeeping operations and that the troops will not be on the front lines but in the rear, in case of attacks by the Russian army once a total ceasefire is reached. Among the leaders who view the proposal with skepticism is Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, who rules out the possibility of sending Italian troops to Ukraine unless a mission is organized under the mandate of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, discussions also covered new aid packages for Ukraine, which will receive 2 billion euros, as announced by Macron, and could also be included in the 150 billion Rearm Europe plan. Additionally, Kyiv will receive another 18 billion from the European Union—coming from the EU’s share of the G7’s 50 billion mega-loan—and a further 18 billion from individual member states.