Macron Unveils Plan for 'Reassurance Force' in Ukraine

Emmanuel Macron proposed deploying "reassurance forces" involving "multiple European nations" stationed at specific strategic sites within Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement with Russia.

"These forces would serve as a deterrence against possible Russian aggression," he stated to journalists at a press briefing after the critical "Coalition of the Willing" summit for Ukraine took place in Paris on Thursday.

However, these reassurance forces “are not intended to be peacekeeping forces” as they will not replace the Ukrainian Armed Forces and will not be positioned on the frontlines but instead in "strategic towns" and bases.

This proposal “will be worked on by our military chiefs of staff” in the coming weeks to determine “the map and format” of these deployments.

“These reassurance forces would in no way replace or reduce our efforts on NATO's eastern flank”, but "would come in addition’" concluded Macron.

'Not a unanimous' decision

The French leader stated that all countries attending the summit did not concur with this proposal. He mentioned, "There wasn't complete agreement," but added, "We don’t require everyone’s approval to make it happen."

The issue of deploying soldiers to Ukraine has sparked significant rifts between EU and NATO member states.

The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, stated that Italy will refrain from participating in this initiative. Meanwhile, Poland’s head of government, Donald Tusk, mentioned earlier this month, “There are no plans for sending Polish troops into Ukrainian territory.”

Although Macron indicated his desire for U.S. backing should Europe decide to deploy forces, he concurrently emphasized the importance of being prepared for a situation where Europe must act alone.

The French leader additionally declared the deployment of a " Franco-British mission to Ukraine" aimed at "setting up the structure of the future Ukrainian military." This initiative seeks to assess what kind of resources Kiev requires to deter potential additional assaults from Russia.

Echoing his statements from Wednesday night, the French President reiterated that it is too early to lift sanctions on Russia.

The announcement comes after the US said on Tuesday that it will start lifting some sanctions on Moscow, particularly on agricultural trade.

The aim of the summit was to establish a foundation for enduring security assurances and transform the Ukrainian military into the primary defense force against potential future attacks. growing threat from Russia.

The meeting in Paris came amid stepping up attempts to mediate a truce , spurred by pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to conclude Russia's four-year-long conflict in Ukraine.

The US-mediated accords aimed at protecting maritime traffic in the Black Sea and ceasing attacks on energy facilities were welcomed as an initial move toward peace. Nonetheless, both Russia and Ukraine have raised objections regarding specific aspects and blamed one another for breaches.

Even with the accord in place, the violence continues unabated. According to Ukrainian news outlets on Thursday, Russian assaults have resulted in injuries for scores of individuals and led to at least one death within the past twenty-four hours.

Zelenskyy argued that these assaults underscored the necessity for the US and Europe to maintain strict sanctions against Moscow rather than easing them.