Macron unveils Ukraine support plans at Paris summit

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a range of initiatives to support Ukraine at a summit in Paris, amid growing uncertainty over continued US assistance.

At a press conference following the summit of the “coalition of the willing,” Macron announced a joint Franco-British plan to send a team to Ukraine to help shape the future structure of the Ukrainian army.

The French President said that he and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would “jointly lead” the coordination efforts of Ukraine’s international coalition of allies, Xinhua news agency reported.

He also raised the idea of deploying “reassurance forces” from a few willing European Union member states to strategic locations in Ukraine should a peace agreement be reached with Russia.

However, “There is no consensus on this point,” Macron acknowledged.

He underscored the importance of continued American support for any potential European deployment but said Europe must prepare for a scenario in which the US is no longer involved.

Following the summit, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed that British Defence Secretary John Healey will chair the next Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting on April 11, where efforts will focus on coordinating additional military aid to support Ukraine’s defence.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow is “categorically against” the possible deployment of Western peacekeepers in Ukraine.

Such a scenario could lead to a direct clash between Russia and NATO, Zakharova said, adding that London and Paris are hatching plans for “a military intervention in Ukraine” under the guise of a peacekeeping operation.

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 summit’s goal was to lay the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and turn the Ukrainian army into the first line of defence against any future aggression amid the growing threat from Russia.

–IANS