French President Macron meets with Ukrainian President Selenskyi prior to the gathering of the Alliance of the Ready

French president Macron meets with Ukrainian president Selenskyy before the assembly of the will alliance - French President Macron receives Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky prior to the gathering of the Alliance of Volunteers

The Coalition of the Willing, a group of approximately 30 European states, will convene on Thursday morning, both in-person and virtually, at the Élysée Palace in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair the meeting, with a focus on discussing security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.

The meeting will see the participation of key ministers from Germany, including Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, Economics Minister Katherina Reiche, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will participate via video link.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend the meeting in person, while other European states, such as Austria (observer status), will be represented virtually. Austria's Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger will attend on behalf of Chancellor Christian Stocker.

The French interpretation of the security guarantees includes continued support for the Ukrainian army, Western ground troops as a signal to Russia, and a guarantee by the USA. However, the details of the USA's guarantee remain unclear.

There has been initial uncertainty about a potential press conference at the end of the meeting. Nevertheless, the message of the meeting is intended to encourage the USA to increase pressure on Russia to achieve a ceasefire.

It is possible that the German Armed Forces will not participate in the ground troops discussed by President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer, as Chancellor Merz has expressed significant reservations about sending German troops to Ukraine. He has stated that a ceasefire must be achieved before any concrete plans for troop deployment.

The deadline for a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, proposed by Donald Trump, has expired. Despite this, the Coalition of the Willing remains committed to finding a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

All members of the Coalition of the Willing are expected to contribute "according to their capabilities." No concrete contributions to the security guarantees will be made during the meeting, according to the Élysée.

The meeting will be held in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and virtual participation. As the situation in Ukraine continues to evolve, the discussions at the Coalition of the Willing meeting could prove crucial in shaping the future of the region.