Italian
Summit at the Hôtel des Invalides with over 20 European leaders. On the agenda, strengthening military support for Ukraine, new sanctions against Russia, and the strategy to promote peace negotiations.
PARIS – France is hosting today one of the most important European summits dedicated to supporting Ukraine. President Emmanuel Macron will receive at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing, the group of over twenty countries committed to coordinating political and military support for Kiev and increasing pressure on Russia.
The meeting, organized on the eve of the French National Day on July 14, takes place at a particularly delicate moment in the conflict. The recent successes of Ukrainian forces, especially due to deep strikes against Russian strategic targets and the increasingly effective use of drones, fuel the belief among several European governments that Moscow may be forced to open negotiations.
Before the start of the summit, Macron will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a bilateral discussion. In the late afternoon, a joint press conference is scheduled, which will also include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The precedent of the four-way summit
The Paris meeting represents the continuation of the work initiated by the four leaders. On June 7, Macron, Starmer, Merz, and Zelensky issued a joint statement reaffirming their “unwavering” support for Ukraine and outlining the political and military priorities for the coming months.
In the document, the leaders welcomed the recent results achieved by the Ukrainian army on the battlefield, particularly the recapture of occupied territories and the innovative use of unmanned technologies. At the same time, they condemned the missile and drone attacks carried out by Russia against Ukrainian cities, including the repeated use of Oreshnik ballistic missiles, also denouncing the incursions of Russian drones into NATO airspace.
More weapons, more European defense
The statement of June 7 also set the goals of the Coalition of the Willing: to increase military support for Ukraine, strengthen economic pressure on Russia, and develop closer industrial cooperation in the defense sector.
Among the priorities indicated are the increase of European production of interceptor missiles, the joint development of anti-ballistic capabilities and long-range strike systems, as well as the strengthening of the operational capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The four leaders also emphasized the importance of leveraging the experience gained by the Kiev army on the battlefield to enhance the military preparedness of the Atlantic Alliance and the European defense industry.
The conditions for a “just and lasting” peace
The document also identifies the five principles that, according to European leaders, should form the basis of any future negotiations with Moscow.
The first is an immediate and complete ceasefire, requested directly from President Vladimir Putin.
The second stipulates that the current front line represents the starting point for negotiations, reiterating that international borders cannot be changed by force and that Ukraine retains the sovereign right to choose its own alliances and security system.
The third concerns the need to provide Kiev with solid and legally binding security guarantees once the ceasefire comes into effect. Among these is the planned deployment of the Multinational Force – Ukraine, the multinational force that is expected to contribute to the country’s security in the post-war period.
The fourth principle establishes that Russian assets frozen abroad must remain immobilized until the cessation of aggression and the compensation for damages caused by the war.
Finally, any potential agreement must safeguard European security interests: every decision regarding the European Union or NATO must be approved respectively by the EU member states and the Allies of the Atlantic Alliance.
Diplomatic pressure and new sanctions
On the eve of the summit, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that Paris will summon the Russian ambassador in the coming days after attributing to Moscow a wide-ranging campaign of cyberattacks against at least ten European countries, including France.
The French government will also impose sanctions against nine individuals and four entities deemed responsible for the cyber operations, which Paris claims were coordinated by the Russian security services of the FSB.
At the same time, in Brussels, the EU foreign ministers are discussing the twenty-first sanctions package against Russia. Some files remain open, including the ban on certain maritime services and further tightening of restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas.
The dual front of Paris and Brussels
The summit of the Coalition of Volunteers and the simultaneous European negotiations on new sanctions represent two pieces of the same strategy: to strengthen support for Ukraine, increase the economic cost of the war for Moscow, and create the political conditions for the Kremlin to accept negotiations based on respect for Ukrainian sovereignty and European security guarantees.
In the coming hours, statements from the leaders are expected at the end of the summit, from which new commitments on military, financial, and diplomatic support for Kiev may emerge.
