European and Canadian leaders to meet next week to discuss Ukraine – Bloomberg
Photo: The meeting of Western leaders will take place in Paris (Getty Images)
Leaders from the EU, the UK, and Canada will gather in Paris next week to discuss their role in resolving the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.
According to the agency, the meeting will be attended by Germany, Italy, and Poland, as well as non-EU countries.
Informed sources told Bloomberg that Western leaders aim to discuss their position on Ukraine and the requirements for the peace process.
"Kyiv’s European allies are struggling to be involved in the process after the US kicked off talks directly with Russia and Ukraine. This so-called coalition of the willing met earlier this month in London," the outlet states.
Earlier, it was revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be in Paris next week for meetings. However, it remains unclear whether it is connected to the meeting of Western leaders.
Coalition of the willing
Recently, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the formation of a coalition of the willing to help secure peace in Ukraine. The coalition's primary goal is to bring together countries willing to deploy military forces to Ukraine.
Later, Sky News reported that the UK had held talks with around 20 countries regarding a coalition of the willing for Ukraine.
Last weekend, a virtual summit of the coalition took place, during which Starmer stated that military officials would gather in the UK to discuss the practical aspects of a possible peace agreement for Ukraine.
Today, March 20, Starmer held a closed-door meeting with military leaders from several countries to discuss peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, around 30 countries, mostly European, offered to provide troops, aircraft, ships, intelligence, or funding for the so-called peacekeeping coalition in Ukraine. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan also participated in the talks.
However, as the agency notes, it remains unclear what actions these countries can take without direct support from US President Donald Trump and the US army.
