A number of European leaders published a joint statement outlining their vision for security guarantees to Kyiv, including the possibility of deploying "multinational forces" in Ukraine.
The statement was published on government websites and signed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, French President Emmanuel Macron (who today met with Latvian President E. Rinkēvičs), UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Denmark's Mette Frederiksen, Italy's Giorgia Meloni, Norway's Støre, Sweden's Ulf Kristersson, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
According to their statement, security guarantees should include:
– providing Ukraine with ongoing and substantial support in developing its armed forces, which should maintain a permanent peacetime strength of 800,000 military personnel;
– multinational forces for Ukraine under European leadership, consisting of contributions from coalition countries with support from the United States. These forces will assist in the restoration of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, maintaining the security of Ukraine's airspace and sea, including through operations within Ukraine;
– a monitoring and verification mechanism for the ceasefire led by the United States with international participation, which will ensure early warning of potential future attacks, track potential violations of the ceasefire regime and respond to them, as well as a conflict reduction mechanism to develop mutual de-escalation measures that can be used for the benefit of all parties;
– a legal commitment, in accordance with internal procedures, to take measures to restore peace and security in the event of an impending armed attack. These measures may include the deployment of armed forces, intelligence and logistical support, as well as economic and diplomatic measures;
– investments in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, including providing significant resources for economic and material recovery, mutually beneficial trade agreements, and consideration of the need for compensation from Russia to Ukraine for the damage it has caused.
It should be noted that the United States has not expressed support for this plan. Furthermore, several of its points directly contradict Trump's peace plan, which includes, in particular, a ban on the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory.
