Overview
- Representatives from 35 countries, including 27 heads of state, convened with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris alongside U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to seek concrete pledges for a post‑ceasefire multinational reassurance force and binding security guarantees.
- Military chiefs and planners gathered to draft operational modalities, with European discussions centering on a 15,000–30,000‑strong force focused on rear‑area security and training, potential leadership roles for France and the UK, Turkish responsibility for Black Sea lanes, and unresolved rules of engagement and deployment proximity.
- Negotiators say roughly 90% of a peace framework is agreed, yet thorny issues persist over the status of the Donbas and administration of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
- Russia maintains opposition to Western troops on Ukrainian soil, many European contributions would require parliamentary approval, and Poland reaffirmed it will not deploy troops while offering logistics and infrastructure support.
- European officials warn the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has unsettled allies and risks distracting Washington, even as American negotiators participate in the Paris talks.