Crucial Defence Talks in Paris Aimed at Supporting Ukraine
This week, senior military leaders from Britain will convene in Paris for pivotal discussions focused on formulating a “concrete” strategy for the Coalition of the Willing to bolster Ukraine’s defense. Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Tony Radakin, is set to co-chair a meeting of European defense chiefs on Tuesday. Following this, Defence Secretary John Healey will engage with key military powers from across the continent on Wednesday.
These discussions may pave the way for a comprehensive European security guarantee for Ukraine, potentially to be presented to the United States by the end of the week. The week promises to be significant for diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials scheduled to initiate peace talks with US representatives in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Simultaneously, European nations will dedicate two days to solidifying plans for security guarantees for Ukraine, should a peace agreement be reached. A source from Whitehall remarked to The i Paper: “Tuesday is a monumental day. We have the talks in Riyadh as well. This marks the next phase in our push for peace.”
In a demonstration of the UK and France’s enduring leadership in European efforts to conclude the war on terms favorable to Ukraine, Sir Tony Radakin will co-chair the meeting of armed forces chiefs alongside his French counterpart, Thierry Burkhard. The primary goal of these talks is to develop a detailed framework based on the initiative proposed by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, which involves deploying allied troops to Ukraine to deter any future Russian aggression, contingent upon a signed peace deal.
- Approximately 20 nations are currently participating in these discussions, primarily from Europe and the Commonwealth.
- Many of these countries have yet to publicly disclose their commitments, and specific troop contributions remain unannounced.
The Whitehall source commented: “There’s a diverse array of nations interested in joining the Coalition of the Willing, but it is ultimately up to them to decide when they wish to go public with their intentions. Our objective is to build the broadest possible coalition at this stage.”
Following the defense chiefs’ meeting, Healey will convene discussions on Wednesday with the defense ministers of four other major military powers in Europe: France, Germany, Italy, and Poland. This meeting aims to advance the political aspects of the plan established by the defense chiefs. For the coalition to succeed, it must receive backing from the US and be acceptable to Ukraine.
A Whitehall source emphasized that European nations are responding to signals from the US indicating a desire for swift progress in peace negotiations. This week’s talks represent a “positive demonstration of ongoing momentum.” The source added, “We must sustain this pace going forward.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, Healey is expected to brief his European counterparts on his recent discussions in Washington, DC, with US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth. The source indicated that the US is genuinely interested in understanding what Europe can contribute to ensure lasting peace: “It’s evident that the US is eager to see a concrete, tangible proposal on the table.”
