Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday thanked fellow world leaders and singled out U.S. President Donald Trump for what he called "America’s readiness to provide support to Ukraine" after a "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in Paris to map out security guarantees for his country.
The gathering, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, drew participation from more than 30 countries either in person or virtually. Trump dialed into the session, and Zelensky issued "special thanks" to him during an update following the meeting.
Zelensky said the participants were united "by the same goal" and would work to "make a contribution to ensuring security on land, at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace." The meeting aimed to forge a collective effort to create "reliable" and lasting guarantees as Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russia's invasion.
Steve Witkoff, whom Trump has designated to serve as an envoy in the peace talks, attended the meeting. The coalition gathered a mix of government officials and diplomats to discuss the shape and scope of potential international arrangements that supporters of Kyiv might provide.
Organizers described the session as a consultative forum to coordinate approaches among partner countries. Officials at the meeting framed the security guarantees as comprehensive, encompassing conventional military support as well as measures intended to bolster Ukraine’s resilience in cyberspace.
The Paris talks represent the latest diplomatic effort to translate Western political and military backing for Ukraine into longer-term arrangements intended to deter future aggression. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has sought formalized international guarantees to underpin its security while pursuing a settlement that would preserve its sovereignty.
Details on any specific commitments or timelines were not released in a joint statement after the session. Participants said they would continue consultations as leaders and envoys refine proposals and consider how to coordinate assistance across defense, economic, and cyber domains.
The meeting follows months of international discussion about how best to strengthen Ukraine’s security architecture without creating new alliance structures. France and the United Kingdom have taken lead roles in framing follow-on talks, and the British prime minister joined the session virtually.
Zelensky’s public acknowledgment of U.S. readiness to help underscores Washington’s central role in supporting Ukraine, even as partners weigh the political and practical contours of guarantees. The effort in Paris was presented by its organizers as a step toward building a durable, multinational approach to Ukraine’s security needs that could complement ongoing military and economic assistance from individual states.
Further negotiations among participating governments are expected as diplomats and military planners work to convert the broad aims discussed in Paris into actionable measures. For Kyiv, the coalition talks are part of a sustained push to secure international backing that can withstand changes in the global political landscape while addressing immediate threats on the battlefield and in cyberspace.