Macron says 26 countries commit to Ukraine ceasefire deployment
PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that 26 countries, mostly European, have formally pledged to deploy troops as part of a future Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire, though not directly on the front line.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference following the meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing," Macron said the countries would contribute to a "reassurance force" that could deploy troops in Ukraine or provide support on land, at sea, or in the air.
He added after the summit, participants held a call with US President Donald Trump and the United States is expected to finalize its contributions to the security guarantees in the coming days.
Zelensky welcomed the announcement as a "concrete" step forward and stressed that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whether bilateral or trilateral, is "necessary" for advancing peace efforts.
The announcement followed a virtual meeting of the coalition on Thursday, co-chaired by Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The group, which brought together around 30 countries, mostly European, has committed to providing security guarantees to Ukraine.
