Vladislav Grigoriev22:16, 25.02.25

France, Britain and some other European countries are ready to take on the main obligations to provide post-war security guarantees.

French President Emmanuel Macron has hailed a “turning point” in US President Donald Trump’s efforts to change his views on the war in Ukraine, but has failed to secure a commitment from Washington to support any deployment of European troops once the fighting ends.

Officials familiar with the discussions told Financial Times journalists this, adding that Europe still wants to secure US support to provide security guarantees to Ukraine.

The publication recalled that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to arrive in Washington on February 27, and wants to get Trump to provide Ukraine with specific security guarantees.

Starmer, Macron and other European leaders are working on a proposal for security guarantees for Ukraine that the British prime minister wants to present to Trump when they meet, officials said, including the deployment of a “reassuring force” that would rely on US support.

In addition, France, Britain and some other European countries are ready to take on the main obligations of providing post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, the officials noted. However, Europe wants the United States to provide logistical and intelligence support to ensure military protection for the successful implementation of the peacekeeping mission.

A French official told reporters that there was no final agreement on the nature of American support for Ukraine, as the discussions were at a preliminary stage. He added that Trump would not object to the Americans providing some security guarantees.

Much of the conversation between Trump and Macron during his trip to Washington was devoted to ensuring Russia would comply with the cease-fire, the French official said. He stressed that the French president avoided criticizing the White House leader but pushed back when the US president suggested Washington had provided far more aid to Ukraine than Europe.

“I think the visit was a success because Macron’s strategy is not to upset Trump by trying to sell him a comprehensive peace deal backed by the US. He made progress on that front, even if Trump remained quite elusive,” said Michel Duclos, a former diplomat and expert at the Institut Montaigne in Paris.

The publication stressed that other European diplomats also believe that Macron has made progress in winning Trump over to Europe’s side. However, they fear that the French president may have overestimated the White House leader’s pliability.

“He played well. Polite, friendly, but at the same time he challenged the false narrative about Ukraine’s funding,” one of the officials told reporters.

In a commentary to the publication, Estonian President Alar Karis said that some countries are still not ready to send European troops to Ukraine. He added that transatlantic ties are important for Europe.

Security guarantees for Ukraine – important news

Earlier, the Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence Roman Kostenko stated that security guarantees for Ukraine from international partners should be specific , including the possibility of using nuclear weapons. In particular, he believes that security guarantees should include the readiness to use nuclear weapons by France and Great Britain.

In addition, CNN wrote that  the US is resisting the inclusion of security guarantees in the agreement on mineral resources. According to the publication, Ukraine has already removed the most problematic issues from the draft agreement.

(C)UNIAN 2025