Coalition of the Willing will talk security guarantees for Ukraine - Tusk
The Coalition of the Willing, due to meet in Paris this afternoon, will discuss the 'Paris Declaration' intended to confirm strong transatlantic cooperation to guarantee Ukraine's security, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said.
The Coalition of the Willing is an initiative led by the United Kingdom and France that brings together 35 countries, including Poland, which support Kyiv in its defensive war against Russia and is involved in the peace process between the two warring nations.
On Tuesday, Tusk will attend the summit convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, which aims to summarise the entire series of consultations. The leaders are expected to declare their concrete contribution to future security guarantees for Ukraine.
Before his departure to Paris, Tusk told a press briefing on Tuesday morning that Ukraine's allies would discuss the details of the 'Paris Declaration,' which is intended to confirm the will for full European-American cooperation in guaranteeing security, supporting Ukraine and its post-war reconstruction.
"And above all, to achieve just and secure peace conditions, from Ukraine's and Europe's perspective, or at least a ceasefire," he said.
"The goal of this Paris meeting is to strengthen and unify the European and American positions, because only such pressure has a chance of forcing the Russians to take the issue of a ceasefire and, subsequently peace, seriously," he added.
Tusk also said that some elements of future documents would also be discussed, including the US-brokered 20-point peace plan, and those describing the cooperation between European countries and the United States in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Tusk also referred to the US ambitions to take over Greenland from Denmark, with US President Donald Trump quoting national security reasons.
"It stirred very strong emotions across Europe," Tusk commented.
He went on to say that no NATO member should attack or threaten another member of the alliance.
"Otherwise, NATO would lose its meaning if within the pact there was a conflict or mutual aggressive steps," Tusk said.
But, Tusk said, "Poland is one of the best examples that we should do everything so that the Europe-US, transatlantic ties... should not suffer in the coming days and months as a result of various announcements, decisions or misunderstandings."
At the same time, he said, Denmark can count on the solidarity of the entire Europe.
The Polish prime minister also expressed a hope for Washington to understand that any attempts to break up or undermine the nature of NATO would not be accepted in any European country.
In a Sunday interview for the Atlantic magazine, Trump said the US needed Greenland for defence as, according to him, the island is surrounded by Chinese and Russian vessels.
The Paris meeting will be chaired by Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In addition to the European leaders, it will be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, special envoys of President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Council President Antonio Costa, among others. Some participants will join the meeting online. (PAP)
mmr/jd
