Overview

• European leaders, led by the UK and France, are advancing plans to deploy a 'reassurance force' in Ukraine to secure a potential ceasefire and deter future Russian aggression.
• The Paris summit reaffirmed that sanctions on Russia will remain until peace is achieved, despite U.S. signals to ease restrictions on Russian agricultural exports.
• Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of violating the fragile U.S.-brokered Black Sea ceasefire, while European leaders criticize Moscow for delaying peace talks.
• Tensions between Kyiv and Washington grow as Ukraine resists a U.S. minerals deal that would grant America a 50% stake in Ukraine's mineral wealth in exchange for military aid.
• While France and the UK are committed to the 'reassurance force,' other European nations remain divided, with some reluctant to send troops without broader international support.