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President Emmanuel Macron called on the heads of state and government attending the Paris meeting of the \u201cCoalition of the Willing\u201d for Ukraine on Monday to accelerate support for Ukraine, strengthen its defence, ramp up pressure on Russia and build security guarantees once hostilities have ceased.<\/p>\n
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the European Council president Ant\u00f3nio Costa took part in the sixth meeting of this coalition created at the initiative of France and Britain.<\/p>\n
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The coalition has pledged to provide military support to Ukraine and security guarantees through the deployment of peacekeeping troops after the hostilities end, a move aimed at deterring Russia from renewing its attacks against its neighbour. The sacrifices and efforts of the Ukrainian people to continue defending themselves against Russia\u2019s aggression will be further supported by weapons and military equipment delivered by Europe, based on agreements announced in Paris.<\/p>\n
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Before the summit, nine European countries formed an alliance to develop anti-ballistic missile capabilities, in a partnership with Ukraine, both in order to help Kyiv defend itself against massive Russian missile attacks and to improve the security of the entire continent. This action is not directed against anyone, but rather it is designed for our defence, said the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Britain, committed to this initiative coming from president Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n
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France and Ukraine have also jointly committed to a roadmap that includes Kyiv’s procurement of 16 Rafale fighter jets and related weapons, the first of which are expected to fly in Ukrainian airspace in 2028-2029.<\/p>\n
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To strengthen its air defence, Ukraine will also buy new-generation surface-to-air missile systems from France, under an agreement that also grants Ukraine licenses for the production of interceptors.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhat we\u2019re building here is not just for Ukraine \u2014 it demonstrates that Europe can take charge of its own security and defend its interests, and that it can act in unity and strength without naivety regarding the intentions of others,\u201d president Macron said, and added that the multinational force for Ukraine, which recently set up headquarters near Paris, would begin joint training this autumn.<\/p>\n
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Romania was represented at the meeting by president Nicu\u0219or Dan, who reaffirmed that support for Ukraine at all relevant levels remains critical to the stability and security of the entire region. Ukraine must be able to negotiate peace from a position of strength, the Romanian official believes. \u201cAs we move forward with concrete actions and coordinated planning, our joint efforts must remain focused on achieving a ceasefire and, ultimately, a just, long-lasting and sustainable peace,\u201d said president Nicu\u0219or Dan, who promised that Romania will continue to act as a responsible Ally and a reliable partner in support of this goal. (AMP)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Emmanuel Macron called on the heads of state and government attending the Paris meeting of the \u201cCoalition of the Willing\u201d for Ukraine on Monday to accelerate support for Ukraine, strengthen its defence, ramp up pressure on Russia and build security guarantees once hostilities have ceased. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO secretary general Mark […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":1039185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[166655,29874,29026,45762,116455,28905],"coauthors":[113249],"class_list":["post-1039324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-coalition-of-the-willing","tag-europe","tag-france","tag-nato-2","tag-paris-2","tag-ukraine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n