France supports Ukraine and takes responsibility for peace on the European continent, said President Emmanuel Macron after hosting an emergency meeting of European Union leaders in Paris on Feb. 19.
Representatives from Canada, Iceland, and Norway also attended the summit.
“We stand with Ukraine and will take full responsibility to ensure peace and security in Europe. This is the fundamental interest of France and I am its guarantor,” Macron said.
All of Ukraine’s European partners are committed to achieving long-term, sustainable peace in Ukraine.
“France and its partners have a clear and united position,” he said, adding that Europe supports U.S. President Donald Trump’s goal of ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Macron said the EU will continue its efforts to achieve peace, adhering to the following principles: Ukraine must be included in the process, its rights must be respected, and peace must be durable, backed by reliable and trusted guarantees, while also considering the security interests of Europeans.
Defense and security spending also need to be increased to bolster Europe’s military capacity, he said.
“Decisions will be made in the coming days and weeks,” Macron said.
This week, two emergency summits took place, bringing together leaders from major EU states, Britain, NATO’s chief, and EU leadership. Macron initiated the meetings in Paris on Feb. 17-19 after the U.S. announced that Europe would not be included in negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
As a result, the countries agreed on a “reassurance force” strategy, which includes a plan to deploy around 30,000 European peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
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