Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Tuesday that Poland will be the leading country in logistics and organizational issues in securing the activities of countries that will support Ukraine. He added that the partners do not expect the presence of Polish troops in Ukraine in any of the variants.
The summit of the “coalition of the willing” was held in Paris on Tuesday. It was attended by representatives of 35 countries, including heads of state and government from 27 countries. Poland was represented by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
– Each week we are closer to such specific solutions – said Prime Minister Tusk at the conference after the summit. He added that the issue of solutions looks “really promising and more and more concrete.”
He noted that Poland is ready and will complete all logistics tasks. He noted that Poland's role will not be related to the presence of troops in Ukraine. – Our partners do not expect the presence of Polish troops in Ukraine in any of the variants – he pointed out.
He emphasized that Poland's participation in securing the activities of countries that will support Ukraine will be important.
– Poland will be a leading country when it comes to these logistic and organizational issues. Each task has its own national leader, and among the four countries that will decide how to act after the end of the war, Poland is one of the leading countries, he said.
Prime Minister: I will talk to the president this week
During the briefing summarizing the summit of the “coalition of the willing”, the head of the Polish government admitted that he was satisfied with the words of the American side, which encouraged Ukraine by saying that Poland “is a model example of how it is possible to recover from a state of economic collapse by carrying out ambitious reforms.” – Ukraine has a chance – I quote Mr. Kushner – to follow the Polish path and achieve the successes that Poland has achieved. This is a bit reminiscent of the message I conveyed in my informal New Year's message to Europeans: “Be like Poland,” he pointed out.
Tusk announced that this week he would talk to President Karol Nawrocki “about what the role of the president and the government is in this process.” – We will still discuss the details, but we have just decided that this meeting will take place. This process will, of course, require further meetings, he said.
The Prime Minister added that to obtain the desired results, “we need to keep pressing hard on Russia.” – That is why we welcomed President Trump's declarations with great hope, and I was also satisfied with the readiness expressed by virtually all today's meeting participants to put pressure on Russia, including sanctions if necessary, he emphasized.
Head of the European Council: The EU is ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine
The EU is ready to provide Ukraine with a system of legally and politically binding security guarantees, which will be activated after the ceasefire comes into force, wrote the head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, after the end of the meeting of the “coalition of the willing” in Paris.
Costa described the coalition meeting as “productive and important” and wrote that it allowed for increased EU support for Ukraine.
The Head of the Council listed the areas in which the EU has committed to support Kyiv. – The Union will contribute to efforts to provide the security guarantees that Ukraine needs to conclude an agreement ensuring lasting peace, he wrote. He also added that Brussels will support Ukraine in its pursuit of EU membership, which is a key element of Ukraine's future success.
Costa also recalled that, in accordance with the December decision of the European Council, the Community will help cover Ukraine's financial needs for the next two years by granting a loan of EUR 90 billion to Kiev. – Part of these funds will be allocated to support the Ukrainian armed forces, which are the first line of defense against aggression, Costa said.
The Portuguese added that the EU will also send civilian and military missions to Ukraine. – Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position – before, during and after the ceasefire, he said.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also posted her comment after the meeting on X, saying that the coalition meeting showed how united the EU is on Ukraine. – Our joint statement is a clear message. Together we support Ukraine, and it has a safe and successful future ahead of it, wrote the politician.
From Brussels Jowita Kiwnik Pargana (PAP)
EU foreign policy chief: the meeting in Paris allowed us to agree on security guarantees
The European Union's foreign policy chief said that Tuesday's meeting of the coalition of the willing in Paris allowed for the establishment of security guarantees for Ukraine. Kallas emphasized that this includes, among other things, a stronger Ukrainian army, supported by international forces and the United States.
“Ukraine will need strong security guarantees to deter Russia from renewed aggression. The coalition of the willing exists to turn plans into real protection. Leaders met in Paris to finalize these guarantees,” Kallas wrote on X.
Witkoff: We have made significant progress on security guarantees
US special presidential envoy for peacekeeping Steve Witkoff said after meetings with members of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris that “significant progress” had been made in several areas, including security guarantees and the Ukraine reconstruction plan. He announced further talks.
Witkoff reported this way in a post on Platform X on Tuesday's meetings with delegations of Ukraine and other European countries supporting Kiev.
We have made significant progress in several key areas of work, including our bilateral security assurance framework and the Agenda for Prosperity (…) We agree with the Coalition (of the Willing) that lasting security guarantees and solid commitments to prosperity are essential for lasting peace in Ukraine, and we will continue to cooperate in this regard,” Trump's envoy wrote. He announced further talks with Ukrainians on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Apart from Wiktoff, the US side took part in the talks in Paris: the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, his father, the US ambassador in Paris Charles Kushner, the commander of US forces in Europe Alexus Grynkewich and White House adviser Josh Gruenbaum.
Witkoff did not provide further information about the results of the talks. However, after the previous meeting with representatives of European countries and Ukraine in December, he announced that the US security guarantees for Ukraine had been agreed and that the Trump administration was ready to ratify them in the Senate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed similarly, although he admitted that although Trump offers 15-year guarantees, Ukraine would like them to last for many decades.
Macron: Supervision mechanisms will be under American leadership
French President Emmanuel Macron said after the “coalition of the willing” summit in Paris that the mechanisms for supervising a future ceasefire in the war between Ukraine and Russia will be under American leadership.
The French president assured that the United States had explained its involvement; he also said that there had been a change in the American position in recent weeks.
Macron spoke at a press conference with the participation of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany and Great Britain – Volodymyr Zelensky, Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer – and the envoys of US President Donald Trump: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Prime Minister Meloni ruled out sending Italian troops to Ukraine
In a statement, the government in Rome announced that Giorgia Meloni, confirming Italy's support for Ukraine's security, repeated the position of its Council of Ministers and “in particular ruled out the involvement of Italian troops in the field.”
The statement also noted: “The voluntary participation of coalition countries in multinational forces and respect for constitutional procedures when deciding on support for Ukraine in the event of a future attack, as referred to in the adopted declaration, reflect the principles repeatedly repeated by Italy.”
The Italian government described the Paris meeting as “constructive and concrete”, which made it possible to confirm at a high level the convergence of positions between Ukraine, the United States, Europe and other partners.
Moreover, it was noted that the purpose of the meeting was to refine security guarantees for Ukraine, inspired by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, as Italy had long suggested.
These guarantees, said the Italian government, will form part of a broader package to be adopted in close cooperation with the US to ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, also through an effective mechanism for monitoring the expected ceasefire and strengthening Ukrainian military forces.
It was also added that all coalition members emphasized the need to exert collective pressure on Russia.
Oskar Górzyński, z Rome Sylwia Wysocka (PAP)
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