<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The President of the Government Pedro Sánchez participated this Thursday via videoconference in the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, held in Paris to discuss peace and security for Ukraine, where he warned of the need to continue pressuring Russia to accept a ceasefire.</strong></h4> Sánchez spoke at the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, an initiative launched last March by France and the United Kingdom and joined by 35 countries (mostly European, as well as Canada, Australia, and Japan, including around twenty heads of government) to examine progress on security guarantees for Ukraine and analyze the collective strategy towards Russia. Pedro Sánchez had planned to attend the Élysée Palace, but was forced to cancel the trip and participate via videoconference after the Falcon 900 plane he was planning to travel in suffered a breakdown 40 minutes into the flight, according to Moncloa. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also spoke via videoconference, albeit due to scheduling reasons. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro; and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, among others, also participated remotely. Among the leaders who traveled to Paris were the President of the European Commission. European Union, Ursula von der Leyen; the President of the European Council, António Costa; the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz; and the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, among others. During the meeting, co-chaired by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and Starmer, and also attended by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, Sánchez emphasized the importance of maintaining pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire and, in this way, move toward a just and lasting peace. Likewise, according to Moncloa, the President of the Government shared with the other leaders the need to count on the Ukrainian people to reach an agreement on Ukraine and warned, in this regard, that security in Europe cannot be discussed without the voice of the Europeans. At the end of the meeting, Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 countries in the The Coalition of the Willing has pledged to deploy troops in Ukraine or to "be present on land, sea, or in the air" to provide security guarantees to Kyiv "the day after a ceasefire or peace." At the joint press conference with Zelensky, the French president stated that the objective of this force, which would not be deployed on the front lines, is "to prevent any new major aggression" and to involve these 26 countries "in the lasting security of Ukraine." This force "has neither the will nor the objective of waging any war against Russia," he asserted. For his part, Zelensky also emphasized the importance of US support: “We are working on many formats, from initiatives like PURL, which allows for the purchase of American weapons, to the US's willingness to participate in long-term security guarantees.” The Ukrainian leader expressed his gratitude for the support and reiterated that “the main guarantor of security is a strong Ukrainian army.” He also emphasized the need to increase pressure on Russia, mentioning the 19th EU sanctions package and new measures being prepared by Japan. In addition, Zelensky expressed his gratitude for the willingness of the Coalition of the Willing leaders to strengthen Ukraine in the face of Russian military aggression and emphasized that all member countries understand that the main guarantee of post-war security must be “a strong Ukrainian army.” "We discussed in detail each country's willingness to contribute to ensuring security on land, at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace. We coordinated positions and reviewed the elements of security guarantees," Zelensky wrote on social media after participating in a coalition meeting in Paris. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the meeting as "crucial" for the continent's security and detailed three layers of guarantees: strong and modern Ukrainian armed forces; an international deterrent force with 26 countries involved; and a more credible European defense, supported by the €150 billion European Defense Fund (SAFE). British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking via video call from Glasgow, warned that "Putin cannot be trusted" while he delays peace negotiations and carries out indiscriminate attacks like those last week in Kyiv, which damaged buildings of the British Council and the EU delegation. He emphasized that the coalition maintains an "unwavering commitment to Ukraine," with the support of US President Donald Trump, and that the time has come to "go even further" to pressure Moscow and achieve a cessation of hostilities. The summit was attended by leaders from Finland, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, and Germany, as well as members of European and NATO institutions. The coalition members also held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, urging him to increase pressure on Russia and thanking Zelensky for his role in the efforts to reach a peace agreement. Zelensky also spoke with US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the meeting in Paris.
