French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are set to meet on Wednesday night in Paris for a working dinner at the Élysée Palace, ahead of Thursday's "Coalition of the Willing" summit, proposing an approach that differs from Washington's appeasement policy.
Macron is expected to reaffirm France's commitment to strengthening military and financial support for Ukraine as the country continues its defence against Russian aggression.
The "Coalition of the Willing," comprising 31 nations, will convene in Paris to finalise security guarantees for Ukraine, including potential peacekeeping measures.
Tomorrow's summit could mark a pivotal moment in shaping Europe's response to the conflict, with discussions centering on long-term security guarantees and bolstering Ukraine's defence capabilities.
The talks come after Washington's announcement to decrease military funding for Ukraine, followed by the EU's plans to "re-arm Europe" with proposals for an €800 billion defence package.
Attacks
Meanwhile, Zelensky on Wednesday denounced the latest attacks from Russia, which launched more than 100 drones overnight, hours after agreeing to the outlines of a Black Sea ceasefire.
Putin’s reaction to Ukraine ceasefire proposals deepen G7 rifts over US strategy
Russia launched 117 drones over Ukraine, out of which 56 were downed and 48 were lost from radar without causing damage, the air force said.
Frontline regions also came under fire, including in the eastern Donetsk region where three people were killed in the past 24 hours, according to governor Vadym Filashkin.
"There must also be clear pressure and strong action from the world on Russia - more pressure, more sanctions from the United States - to stop Russian strikes," Zelensky said.
Zelensky spoke after the US said it brokered the agreements during talks with both sides in Saudi Arabia, as President Donald Trump pushes for a quick end to the Russian invasion.
But questions over implementation remained as the Kremlin said the agreement to halt strikes on the Black Sea could come into force only after the lifting of restrictions on its agriculture sector.
During the talks in Saudi Arabia, no joint declaration was issued.
The US delegation met with Russian and Ukrainian expert groups separately. In a statement, the White House said that the US and Russia agreed to "ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea."
The US said it will also "help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports" and Washington agreed with Moscow to "ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine."
Meanwhile, during the group meeting with Ukraine, Washington said it agreed with Kyiv to "develop measures for implementing President Trump’s and President Zelensky’s agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine."
The separate White House statement also said that the US "remains committed to helping achieve the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children."
(With newswires)
