Emmanuel Macron emphasized that American withdrawal from supporting Ukraine would fundamentally weaken Western security strategy against the Kremlin's expansionist ambitions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join EU leaders in Brussels on 6 March for discussions on European defence and security guarantees for Ukraine.
The leaders of the European Council, Canada, Baltic states, Nordic countries, and Spain arrived in Kyiv on the morning of 24 February, the day when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Europe is considering deploying a 25,000–30,000-strong deterrence force to Ukraine, positioned away from the front lines but ready to respond if Russia escalates the war.