European Nations Weigh Ukraine Security Pledges Amid Deployment Disagreements

European capitals are facing increasing pressure to make concrete commitments to a multinational force planned for deployment in Ukraine. Leaders are preparing to discuss what they are willing to offer Kyiv on Thursday. This so-called “coalition of the willing” is a central part of security guarantees under consideration for Ukraine, spearheaded by France and the UK, and with promised US support. European leaders are scheduled to speak with US President Trump after the summit. However, uncertainty persists about what contributions individual member states are willing to make, including whether they will send ground troops, and whether this will be based on a mutual defense agreement that would compel European nations to stand with Ukraine against any future aggression. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the talks on Thursday, with some leaders traveling to Paris to participate while others joined via video. This followed a preparatory meeting of defense officials on Wednesday. According to two people briefed on the discussions, the coalition is roughly divided into three factions: one willing to deploy troops, including the UK; one that has decided against deployment, such as Italy; and a majority of countries still undecided, like Germany. An Élysée Palace official said that countries willing and able to provide security guarantees have completed the technical work. “Today we have enough contributions to tell the Americans that we are ready to take on our responsibilities, provided they also take on theirs,” the official said. Trump has informed European leaders that the US will provide intelligence support, command and control assets, and a contribution to the air defense shield for the country, but Europeans must lead the initiative. UK Defence Secretary John Healey co-chaired the Wednesday call of defense officials. The UK Ministry of Defence said that he told attendees that the UK is “reviewing the readiness levels of the UK armed forces and accelerating the allocation of funding to prepare for any deployment to Ukraine.” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that he expects concrete proposals on what security guarantees the alliance will offer to emerge “today or shortly thereafter.” “That means we can engage more densely, also engage with the US side, to see what they are willing to offer in terms of being part of security guarantees,” Stoltenberg told reporters. But an indication of a lack of clarity ahead of the meeting is that officials in Germany, one of Europe’s largest military powers, reacted negatively this week to comments from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The latter had said that capitals were drawing up “quite precise plans” for possible military deployments in Ukraine, and had a “clear roadmap.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will attend Thursday’s talks in person, said that he had discussed with Macron in Paris “the preparation of security guarantees” ahead of the meeting. He added: “We also discussed defense support for Ukraine, including addressing current needs, strengthening sanctions against Russia and the possibility of using frozen Russian assets.” Zelenskyy, who held talks earlier on Wednesday in Copenhagen with the leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, and Sweden, said they “discussed the matter in detail, as well as the possible contributions of each country.” Zelenskyy said: “Now we will supplement with specific details, including who does what on land, in the air, at sea, and in cyberspace. Our army is the core of this system, being strong and large enough to resist Russia means [needing] weapons and money, and we are working on this.”