Zelenskiy presses Macron on security
They urge strong guarantees and oppose Russian gains
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to press for firm security guarantees and guardrails for any peace settlement with Russia, as Kyiv faces its most difficult political and military moment since the 2022 invasion. Both leaders said Ukraine’s territorial integrity is non-negotiable and warned against any deal that would reward Russian aggression. Macron stressed that decisions about Ukrainian territory belong to Kyiv, called for robust security guarantees for Europe as well as Ukraine, and noted Russia had shown no sign of ending its aggression.
The talks in Paris build on recent diplomatic momentum, including revised U.S.-backed peace proposals and talks in Geneva and Washington. Zelenskiy described the U.S.-backed plan as “improved” but said major issues remain unresolved, notably enforceable security provisions and guarantees of Ukraine’s sovereignty. U.S. and Ukrainian officials described their own discussions as productive, and a U.S. envoy was reported to be preparing contacts with Moscow.
Macron proposed using frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine’s reconstruction and said the EU would seek a way to deploy those funds, aiming to finalize arrangements at the next European Council before Christmas. He acknowledged concerns from countries holding the bulk of those assets and urged a coordinated European role in both security guarantees and reconstruction financing.
The Paris meeting included a broader European exchange: Macron and Zelenskiy joined a call with around a dozen European leaders, including Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland and EU officials, signaling consolidated Western backing for Kyiv’s negotiating positions. Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s immediate priority is strong guarantees from Europe and the United States to prevent Russia from being rewarded for its aggression. A Ukrainian delegation was preparing to travel to the United States for further negotiations, and Kyiv planned follow-up briefings with its own team in Ireland to review outcomes.
