6:55 PM Zelensky Affirms EU Membership as Security Assurance Component

Kyiv's leader affirming EU membership as a key component of security assurances

A strong Ukrainian army is of central importance as the country continues to face challenges. In response, Europeans are ready to significantly contribute to strong security guarantees for Ukraine, with Germany playing a key role.

Germany has pledged to finance, arm, and train Ukrainian forces, and will also help with the production of Ukrainian long-range missiles. This comes as a collective readiness from at least 26 countries, including many European NATO members, was highlighted at a conference in Paris. France emphasized the collective readiness, although specific countries and troop numbers were not detailed, and the USA did not make explicit troop commitments.

However, Russia has rejected every peace initiative and continues to pose a sustained threat, according to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Rutte has also questioned why Russia's opinion should matter regarding Western security guarantees for Ukraine.

The economic situation in Russia is also cause for concern, with its economy reported to be in a state of stagnation, and cooling faster than expected. This is according to Economic Minister Maxim Reshetnikov and Sberbank head German Gref. Gref has also expressed concerns about a potential slide into recession and has urged the central bank to prevent it.

Meanwhile, the domestic economy of Russia is struggling, with growth close to zero in July and August. This has led US President Donald Trump to call on European heads of state to stop buying Russian oil.

As the conflict continues, there is no concrete plan for the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, as it has been rejected by Russia. However, around 30 heads of state and government will meet with Ukrainian President Selenskyj to discuss future security guarantees for Kyiv.

The US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to attend the conference of the supporting states of Ukraine in Paris. Political scientist Claudia Major has warned against a "German exceptionalism" in discussions about security guarantees for Ukraine, while EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's GPS system allegedly being disrupted by Russia has been dismissed as "fake and paranoia" by Russia.

Major urges Europeans to focus on ending the war instead of debating German troop contributions. Meanwhile, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz continues to hope that US President Donald Trump will become more involved in supporting Ukraine. Merz has also threatened further sanctions against Russia if there is no progress in negotiations for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

In the midst of these developments, both countries are significantly expanding and modernizing their defense industries. Major urges a focus on ending the war, while Merz plans to make concrete proposals for a German contribution, such as strengthening Ukrainian air defense and its offensive military capabilities.

The loss of life in Ukraine continues to mount, with two Ukrainians killed by the explosion of a Russian drone they found. As the international community works towards finding a resolution, the focus remains on providing strong security guarantees for Ukraine and ending the conflict.