Macron says 26 countries ready to send troops to end Ukraine’s fire

Twenty -six Western allies have officially committed themselves to deploying troops “by land, sea or air” in Ukraine on the day after a transaction to end the fire has been agreed, said Emanuel Macron.

Kiev’s security guarantees will come into force as soon as the weapons have been silent, the French leader said after a meeting at the top of 35 countries called the Coalition of Desire.

However, the hope of a deal to end the fighting darkened after last month in Russia Vladimir Putin met with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. The prospects for direct conversations between Putin and Ukraine Voladimir Zelenski seem less likely, although Trump believes that “we will do it.”

Trump spoke on the phone to Western leaders after the Thursday meeting, and Macron said US support for their “calm power” would be finalized in the coming days.

There was no confirmation of direct participation in the US, although Macron said there was an “undoubtedly” of our desire to be part of the security guarantees for Ukraine.

Trump has recently indicated that US backup may “probably” in the form of air support and Zelenski said he spoke with the US President for “maximum protection of the sky of Ukraine”. Kyiv had suggested a format that the US should look at, he added.

Trump also said that the EU must work with the United States to stop importing Russian oil and gas to stop the “Russia military machine with economic means”, according to the account of the telephone call by Finnish President Alexander Step.

The 27-member European Union has set a goal to terminate all gas and oil imports by the end of 2027. A White House employee has indicated that Russia has received EUR 1.1 billion ($ 954 million; $ 1.3 billion) in EU fuel sales, although the true figure is far higher.

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Kiir Starmer said Western allies now have an “unbreakable bet” in Ukraine, supported by the United States, and had to press Russia to end the war, according to a Downing Street spokesman.

Few countries have openly promised to unfold troops on Earth in Ukraine in the event of a deal and the United States have already ruled out a similar move. European diplomats suggest that the troops at this point will probably help Putin’s story against the West.

Moscow has made it clear that Ukraine should not be deployed Western powers and insists that it be one of the countries acting as “guarantors” – an idea rejected by Kiev and its allies.

In the meantime, Russia continued to send troops to Ukraine, despite recent attempts to end the negotiations to end the fire, Macron complained.

In the last violence, two people clearing mines were killed in a Russian attack in northern Ukraine on Thursday.

Ukraine and its allies believe that the termination of fire should be agreed before an attempt to secure a broader peace transaction, although Russia does not agree.

German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz said after the meeting that the first priority was to ensure that fire was stopped at a summit involving Volodimir Zelenski of Ukraine, and then to provide “strong security guarantees”.

Zelenski senior officials have negotiated in Paris with US special prana Steve Vikof on Thursday.

More than three and a half years after the full -scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine, Putin said that this week there is a “certain light at the end of the tunnel” and that “there are options to guarantee the security of Ukraine in case the conflict ends.”

The prospect of a direct meeting, including Putin and Zelenski, is becoming less likely as it was offered last month by President Trump.

Putin suggested that this week Zelenski could come to Moscow for conversations, an idea, the brand “unacceptable” by Kiev. The Ukrainian leader said this was an indication that Russia did not really want the meeting to be held.

NATO chief Mark Rute said on Thursday that Russia has no veto on Western troops that unfold in Ukraine: “Why are we interested in what Russia thinks about the troops in Ukraine? This is a sovereign country. It is not them to decide.”

Trump told CBS News on Wednesday that he remains committed to reaching a deal to end the war and said he continues to have good relations with both Putin and Zelenski.

“I think we’ll stand all this,” he said.

The United Kingdom Defense Minister John Heli praised Trump, whom he says he “brought Putin in conversations” and “has not closed any opportunities.”

The Russian leader, who spent Wednesday with China, Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, claims that his country’s military is moving forward on all fronts in Ukraine.

He warned that without a deal, Moscow was ready to “solve all our military tasks”.

Russia has rejected the idea of ​​an initial ceasefire, insisting that its campaign will not end before a complete peace deal.

A source at Elise Palace suggested before the talks on Thursday that there were several historical examples of fire termination that continued without a complete peace agreement.

The source pointed out the line of distinction between North and South Korea, where the cessation of fire for years continues with a powerfully armed, union US deployment, serving as a signal to North Korea. This concept was extremely important to Ukrainians, the source added.