Any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia must include “robust” security guarantees for Kyiv to succeed, Europe’s leading defence powers warned on Friday, as U.S.-led talks with Moscow continue without a breakthrough.
Meeting in Kraków, the defence ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland insisted that Ukraine’s sovereignty and long-term security must be central to any settlement. They stressed that a strong Ukrainian army would remain the first guarantee of peace.
The statement comes days after Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Geneva without progress.
Britain and France are already preparing plans for a potential multinational force to help secure Ukraine during any transition. President Emmanuel Macron has said France could deploy “several thousand” troops—a prospect Russia has repeatedly opposed.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Moscow would only back down under “maximum pressure,” including continued sanctions and battlefield resistance.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was ready for “real compromises—but not at the cost of our independence and sovereignty.”
