Overview
- Macron, Starmer and Zelensky signed a Paris declaration to prepare a multinational presence in Ukraine after a negotiated cease-fire, with U.S. envoys pledging support and an American-led monitoring mechanism.
- Macron said France could contribute several thousand soldiers to a reassurance mission positioned away from the front, and briefed party leaders on a command structure already set up near Paris.
- Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned it would treat any Western military presence in Ukraine as a legitimate target, while Germany’s chancellor cautioned implementation is impossible without Russian consent.
- French party leaders questioned the reliability of U.S. commitments and pressed for parliamentary oversight, with a debate expected in the coming weeks under Article 50‑1.
- Macron accused the United States of turning away from allies and flouting international rules, critiques sharpened by U.S. operations that captured Nicolás Maduro and seized tankers linked to Venezuelan oil shipments.