Latest news Ukraine

French defense minister says 15 countries are looking to give “some sort” of security guarantees to Ukraine

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu emphasized the importance of addressing key security concerns, including in the Black Sea and Ukraine’s nuclear power plants saety.

byOlena Mukhina

12/03/2025

2 minute read

Ukrainian troops. Source: The General Staff

French defense minister says 15 countries are looking to give “some sort” of security guarantees to Ukraine

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu says nearly 15 countries are interested in providing security guarantees for Ukraine, BBC reports.

Earlier, a number of European countries condemned attempts to pressure Ukraine into a peace deal that could be seen as capitulation after the US said that Kyiv was unlikely to become a NATO member, recapture its territory lost during the all-out war with Russia, and receive official security guarantees. The US began peace negotiations with Moscow while not inviting European representatives to the talks and claiming Europe should increase its defense spending and provide security guarantees for Ukraine.

His words came after a meeting in Paris with the defense ministers of the UK, Germany, France, Poland, and Italy, which he chaired.

According to Lecornu, “The real security guarantees here will be the help we can give to the Ukrainian army.”

“It’s complex… we have to think about matters of security in the Black Sea, nuclear power plants in Ukraine… and we will have to start thinking about dividing up these responsibilities,” he claimed.

Lecornu also announced that the chiefs of staff of the armed forces from several countries will meet in 15 days.

“Why 15 days? Because if Russia has accepted the ceasefire, we’ll obviously want to use the 30 days to come up with the structure of the security framework,” he explained.

Currently, Europe is exploring its own peace initiatives, including discussions on deploying international security forces to ensure compliance with any potential ceasefire.

European and NATO countries meet in Paris to discuss Ukraine security guarantees

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are leading efforts to build a “coalition of the willing” to enforce a future Ukraine ceasefire.

Related:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!