Ukrainian Peace Process: Macron Summons Military Leaders From EU Countries

French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: t.me/emmanuelmacron

March 10, 2025 Hour: 1:55 pm

The list of participants could include representatives from France, Spain, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Italy.

French President Emmanuel Macron convened a meeting on Tuesday with the chiefs of staff from countries willing to guarantee a potential peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.

After meeting behind closed doors, the military chiefs will listen to Macron on Tuesday afternoon in a public address where he is expected to reiterate his commitment to supporting Ukraine’s peace proposal. At the same time, Ukraine will be working to restore its relations with the United States in Saudi Arabia.

So far, it is known that the official list of participants could include representatives from France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Macron proposed this meeting last Wednesday, specifying that the invitation was extended to countries that “want to take responsibility” in the event of a potential “deployment of European forces” in Ukraine to “ensure full compliance” with a future peace agreement. He emphasized that these soldiers “would not go to fight on the front lines; rather, they would be there, on the contrary, once peace is signed, to ensure its full compliance.”

The next day, during the European summit in Brussels, he clarified that all these preparatory discussions would be conducted “in close coordination” with “NATO’s military command.”

This is a way to avoid tensions with the United States, which everyone—starting with the Ukrainians themselves—wants to be involved as the ultimate guarantor, even though the Europeans have accepted that they will not deploy troops on the ground.

🇫🇷"Macron, nous ne voulons pas mourir pour l'Ukraine ! »

C'est avec de tels slogans qu'une manifestation de masse contre les livraisons militaires à Kiev a lieu à Paris. Certains manifestants demandent la démission de M. Macron. pic.twitter.com/KTTpn4gcc6
— ДАНИЭЛЬ КАЛОМБО (@Danielkalombo) March 8, 2025

The text reads, “‘Macron, we don’t want to die for Ukraine!’ These are the slogans used by a mass demonstration in Paris against military supplies to Kyiv. Some demonstrators are demanding Macron’s resignation.”

Regarding the content of tomorrow’s meeting, Macron stated that it would serve to conduct the “first exploratory discussions” on the “range of options” to provide “security guarantees” to Kyiv.

Spain will send its Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral General Teodoro Lopez, to the meeting. Defense Minister Margarita Robles made it clear that Lopez’s presence “does not in any way imply what Spain’s involvement will be in terms of a possible troop deployment.” She stated that this would be a long and complex decision, which would always be assessed “within the context of EU unity.”

At the same time as the meeting in Paris, a Ukrainian delegation will meet in Saudi Arabia with a U.S. delegation to try to rebuild trust following the heated exchange that took place in front of the cameras in the Oval Office between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky on February 28.

Since then, the United States has exerted strong pressure on Ukraine by suspending its military aid and ceasing to share intelligence information to force it to accept a peace agreement. This led to Zelensky’s proposal last week for an aerial and maritime ceasefire as a first step toward ending the war.

This meeting of chiefs of staff will take place during the first day of the Paris Forum on Defense and Strategy, which will run until Thursday. This year’s forum will bring together not only military officials but also defense ministers, such as those from France and the Netherlands. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also be in attendance.

On Wednesday, Paris will host a meeting between European Union and NATO representatives to discuss mechanisms for strengthening European defense. On the same day, defense ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom will meet to analyze aid to Ukraine.