Ukraine’s allies write a re -monitoring plan, contingent consent is not
The leaders of 31 countries, including Bulgaria, gathered in Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron, have instructed their foreign ministers to develop a mechanism for monitoring a future truce in Ukraine.
It should be ready for up to three weeks, after which it will be offered to the UN, Macron announced after the talks on Thursday – the third in less than a month, which were held with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski.
According to the cabinet of Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, leaders have discussed a possible UN role in a future fire termination agreement after Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it would not allow NATO parts to monitor its compliance.
| « During the meeting, leaders also discussed the importance of effective implementation and monitoring of the cessation of fire, which outlines a possible role of the UN, in accordance with the position of the Italian government, » the Rome statement said. |
Backing the various views of Ukraine’s partners, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that his country is opposed to all such forces.
« (We) do not send troops to a mission unless they are part of the UN.
Peacemaking, not peacekeeping
The European contingent, which could be sent to monitor the reconciliation in Ukraine, will not be located along the front line, but in several strategic areas and will be made up of the military, said the French president, adding that the parts will not have a peacekeeping mission.
Calling them « peaceful force », Emmanuel Macron said they would guarantee peace by land, air and water and be part of a wider package that will be provided by the « Coalition of the Air Force ».
Macron admitted that there was no unity of the contingent, his placement and his tasks, but said it was not necessary.
Europe is moving away from the idea of sending a contingent to Ukraine
Military delegations will travel to Ukraine in the coming days to start working on how the contours of a strong Ukrainian army will look in the long run, he added.
The French president said he was about to have a telephone conversation with US Head of State Donald Trump in the coming hours, saying that all participants in the Paris meeting were holding on to keep a close relationship with the United States.
Speaking at a briefing after the meeting, British Prime Minister Kir Starmer said Western allies will be ready to put into action any peace agreement on Ukraine without the United States.
| « We will be ready to put into action a peace agreement when its exact form appears, and we will work together to guarantee the security of Ukraine so that it can defend itself and deter, » Starr said. |
NATO does not think about rapprochement with Russia after the war
The French president also said that 230 billion euros frozen Russian assets could be used to restore Ukraine – a question that the EU has no solution to doubts that this would be legally sustained.
Sanctions against Russia
All spoken leaders said that supporting Ukraine countries were against removing or alleviating sanctions against Russia – a condition that the Kremlin put after negotiations in Saudi Arabia this week to start applying the agreed in principle to terminate the fire in the Black Sea.
The Russians are playing on time, « Starmer said, adding that negotiation of actual termination of fire should » develop in days and weeks, not after months. «
According to Ukrainian President Zelenski, at the summit, there was a wide agreement that the premature alleviation of sanctions against Russia would be a strategic mistake.
« There was absolute clarity that Russia was trying to slow down, playing games, and we must be absolutely clear about it, » Starmer said after the meeting, standing next to Zelenski.
There was « complete clarity that now was not the time to eliminate sanctions, exactly the opposite, » added the British prime minister, while Zelenski even insisted on increasing the restrictions.
