Allies to accelerate Ukraine's security coalition - Healey
Photo: John Healey, UK Minister of Defense (Getty Images)
UK Minister of Defense John Healey stated that European countries will accelerate efforts to form a coalition of the willing to provide Ukraine with security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire, according to The Guardian.
Healey made this statement after a meeting of the defense ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the UK on March 12. The ministers gathered to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, including the potential deployment of international forces.
“The UK and France are jointly leading work on planning to drive the push for peace and drive the arrangements for security guarantees for Ukraine,” Healey said at the joint press conference in Paris.
According to him, close cooperation between the countries has been established, which will help speed up the coalition's formation.
"We are doing this work together, we are cooperating closely with partner nations, we are looking to build a coalition of the willing from Europe and beyond, and from today we are accelerating that work," emphasized the UK Minister of Defense.
Healey also noted that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold another leaders' summit on Saturday, followed by further meetings of senior military officials next week to discuss Ukraine.
Earlier, Starmer initiated the creation of a "coalition of the willing" to provide security guarantees for Ukraine. The main goal of the coalition is to bring together countries willing to deploy troops to Ukraine.
Security guarantees for Ukraine
Earlier, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that President Donald Trump aims to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, but security guarantees will be on Europe.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, following an emergency summit in Paris, affirmed Europe's readiness to take the lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine.
However, he stated that European security guarantees for Ukraine would still require US support to deter Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron, during a meeting with military chiefs in Paris, urged them to begin planning security guarantees for Ukraine after the end of the war.
Following today’s defense ministers' meeting in Paris, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that around 15 countries are willing to provide Ukraine with various security guarantees.
