Over two dozen countries have committed to contributing to a military force that would deploy to Ukraine following a potential peace agreement with Russia to deter any future attacks by Moscow on its neighbor, announced French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.

"We have today 26 countries who have formally committed, some others have not yet taken a position, to deploy as a 'reassurance force' troops in Ukraine, or be present on the ground, in the sea, or in the air," Macron told reporters alongside Zelensky. The Ukrainian president praised the move, stating, "I think that today, for the first time in a long time, this is the first such serious concrete step."

Macron clarified that "this force does not seek to wage any war on Russia," adding, "It is a force to guarantee peace." He further explained that the troops would not be deployed "on the front line" but are intended to "prevent any new major aggression."

The French president stated that another major pillar involved undertaking a "regeneration" of the Ukrainian army to enable it to "not just resist a new attack but dissuade Russia from a new aggression," adding that the United States was being "very clear" about its willingness to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine.

European Council President Antonio Costa echoed this statement by explaining that Ukraine's allies in the so-called "coalition of the willing" are joining forces to strengthen Ukraine's security guarantees through air, sea, land, and the regeneration of Ukraine's forces.

Macron leads initiative after Trump's policy disruption

A coalition of mainly European countries plans to offer Ukraine security guarantees, with a central component of this plan being a "reassurance force" for deployment if the war ends through a peace deal or a ceasefire.

Following a summit in Paris of the so-called "coalition of the willing", which was hosted by Macron and attended by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, European leaders held a video conference with US President Donald Trump. Some European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, attended the event remotely, while others were present in person.

This meeting represents a new initiative led by Macron to demonstrate Europe's capacity for independent action from Washington, a move prompted by Trump's disruption of US foreign policy and his initiation of direct talks with Putin following his return to the White House.

A Downing Street spokeswoman reported that during the summit, UK Prime Minister Starmer emphasized the necessity of increasing efforts to apply pressure on Putin to secure a cessation of hostilities.

This call to add pressure on Moscow was amplified by the Finnish President, who stated, "We agreed that we need to increase pressure on Russia. President Stubb also added that his country is "ready to implement security guarantees once there is a ceasefire, military plans are extensive."

Germany treads cautiously

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also advocated for increased pressure while maintaining caution regarding the scope of potential involvement, with a government spokesman stating after the summit that Germany would decide on military involvement at the appropriate time once the necessary framework conditions had been clarified. 

Chancellor Merz has signaled an openness to German participation in a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine while demonstrating more caution than Macron and Starmer, who have both backed the idea of troop deployments.

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Merz also noted that any German deployment would likely require a Bundestag mandate, which presents a challenge for a chancellor whose own appointment was only voted through on the second attempt.

Following the talks on Thursday, a government source told Reuters that Berlin had offered the prospect of significantly ramping up Ukraine's air defenses and of equipping four Ukrainian mechanized infantry brigades, a commitment that amounts to nearly 500 vehicles per year.

The source added that while there were discussions on how to support Ukraine on a larger scale after a peace deal, this topic had not been the subject of the Paris talks, which were convened by France and Britain on a peace force for Ukraine. 

Italy says it will not get involved in sending troops

On the other hand, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated to allies on Thursday that Italy would not send troops to Ukraine but could help monitor any potential peace deal, according to a statement from her office.

Meloni participated by video in the "coalition of the willing" summit, reiterating Italy's unwillingness to send troops to Ukraine while "confirming her openness to supporting a potential ceasefire with monitoring and training initiatives outside Ukraine's borders," according to a statement.

West frustrated with Putin

This development comes as frustration builds in the West over what leaders describe as Putin's unwillingness to strike a deal to end the war, with Zelensky stating that he has not seen any signs from Russia indicating a desire to end the war.

Meanwhile, Macron warned that an alleged continued refusal by Russia to accept a peace deal would result in the coordination and agreement of "additional sanctions" with the United States.  The sanctions threat was echoed by European Council President Antonio Costa, who stated, "...we continue our work to put pressure on Russia through further sanctions. Russia must stop the killing immediately," in a post on X.

Before the Paris talks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow would not agree to the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine under any circumstances or in any format.

"It's not for them to decide," NATO chief Mark Rutte shot back on the day of the meeting, adding, "I think we really have to stop making Putin too powerful. He's the governor of Texas, not more."

Ursula pushes for advancement in militaries

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Thursday, following the meeting, that Ukraine must become a steel porcupine, indigestible for present and future aggressors.

"That means standing armed forces that are strong, well-equipped, and modern. Our defence industries are accelerating cooperation to make this happen," she added in her statement

Trump, Zelensky scold Europe over Russian oil

The United States also played its own part in applying pressure on Russia, with a White House official stating on Thursday that US President Donald Trump urged European leaders to stop buying Russian oil in order to pressure Moscow to end its war on Ukraine. The official added that economic pressure should be applied to China for funding what they call Russia's war efforts.

Trump made this appeal after being invited to join a "Coalition of the Willing" meeting that was hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

"President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war — as Russia received €1.1 billion in fuel sales from the EU in one year," the official stated, adding, "The President also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts."

Zelensky confirms Trump's frustration

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Donald Trump voiced frustration on Thursday with EU countries that still buy Russian oil, following the US president's conversation with him and European leaders during a summit on Ukraine.

"President Trump is very dissatisfied that Russia's oil is being purchased by Europe. Among others, there are two countries, we know that these are Hungary and Slovakia," the Ukrainian president told reporters following the summit.

In 2022, the European Union imposed a ban on most oil imports from Russia following its operation in Ukraine but made an exception for imports to Slovakia and Hungary to provide those landlocked central European countries with time to find alternative oil supplies.

Both nations have requested that the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, take action against Ukraine's repeated attacks on the Druzhba pipeline, which is responsible for transporting Russian oil to their countries.