We’re now going to end our Europe coverage for the day. Thanks for following along with us.
Here’s is my colleague Shaun Walker’s full take on the coalition of the willing’s press conference and announcement:
Here is a video of Starmer delivering his announcement
Britain and France have declared they are ready to deploy troops to Ukraine in the aftermath of a peace deal, a major new commitment which has been under discussion for months, although one which Russia is likely to block forcefully.
The announcement came after a summit in Paris hosted by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and attended by more than two dozen leaders of the states that make up the “coalition of the willing” of Ukrainian allies, plus the US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who said the US president “strongly stands” behind
Macron, the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the trilateral declaration of intent on Tuesday evening after hours of talks, which they said would pave the way for the deployment of French and British troops on Ukrainian soil. “Following a ceasefire, the UK and France will establish military hubs across Ukraine,” said Starmer.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff speaks on behalf of President Trump, re-affirming that the president wants peace in Ukraine.
We are determined on his behalf to do everything possible to obtain that peace. We think we’re largely finished with security protocols.
But we also think, critically, we are very very close to finishing up as robust a prosperity agreement as any country has ever seen coming out of conflicts like this.”
Keir Starmer says the UK and the US have the “closest relationship,” and praises the coalition of the willing, claiming the group has made “real progress”, which says has only been made possible because of the countries’ political declarations and commitments.
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President Zelenskyy has said there has been a “substantive” declaration on Ukraine security guarantees. He said in his statement:
It’s important that today the coalition has substantive documents. These are not just words. There is concrete content: a joint declaration by all the coalition countries and a trilateral declaration by France, Britain, and Ukraine.
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'This is a declaration of intent to deploy forces to Ukraine in event of a peace deal,' No 10 says
Downing Street has said that Britain will “deploy forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.” In a statement released after Starmer signed the “declaration of intent” earlier, his office says:
This is a declaration of intent to deploy forces to Ukraine in event of a peace deal. This is a vital part of our iron cast commitment to stand with Ukraine for the long term.
The ‘Multinational Force for Ukraine’ will act as a reassurance force to bolster security guarantees and Ukraine’s ability to return to peace and stability by supporting the regeneration of Ukraine’s own forces.
The signing of the declaration paves the way for the legal framework to be established for French and UK forces to operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine’s skies and seas and building an armed forces fit for the future.
In today’s discussions we have also gone into greater detail about the mechanics of the deployment of the force on the ground.
Alongside our plans for a coordination cell, post-ceasefire the UK and France will also establish ‘military hubs’ across Ukraine to enable the deployment and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine’s defensive needs.”
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French president Emmanuel Macron, will continue to support Ukraine’s forces on the frontline. The Ukrainian army has 800,000 troops, and France will help to ensure that they can deter and continue to lay the groundwork after the ceasefire. In his statement he said:
We will be focusing on Ukraine’s future prosperity with the US and speed up work happening. We will continue to prove support to Ukraine for all the challenges at the moment and the civilians who are continually targeted by the Russians.”
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UK prime minster Keir Starmer says he will participate in US led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire. The UK and France will establish military hubs in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia. In his statement he said:
Putin is not willing to show peace. We will keep the pressure up on Russia, including further measures on oil trades and shadow fleet operators supporting Russia.”
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Good evening everyone. The coalition of the willing summit has started, with leaders commenting on their stances and how they will continue to help Ukraine.
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Here’s one of the first “family photos” of the Coalition of Willing summit in Paris today.
Nordic states say Arctic security rests on respect for international law
Here’s the full statement from the foreign ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden:
As Nordic countries, Arctic States and NATO allies we are collectively committed to preserving security, stability and co-operation in the Arctic. We have all taken steps to increase deterrence and defence in the region, including through new capabilities, activities, presence and increased situational awareness. We support NATO increasing its presence and vigilance in the region. We have substantially increased our investments in Arctic security and we are ready to do even more in close consultation with the United States and other NATO allies.
Security in the Arctic rests on respect for the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law, including the inviolability of borders. The Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland, is a founding member of NATO, and has historically worked closely with the United States on Arctic Security, including through The Defence Agreement between the US and Denmark from 1951, which offers opportunities for increased security cooperation.
We collectively reiterate that matters concerning Denmark and Greenland are for Denmark and Greenland to decide alone.”
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The Nordic states have just issued a statement too saying “matters concerning Denmark and Greenland are for Denmark and Greenland to decide alone”.
That follows the statement issued by Denmark with the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland this morning, defending Denmark and Greenland’s sovereign relationship and saying that they are already doing enough to shore up Arctic security.
That statement said the Arctic was a Nato priority and urged the US to work with other Nato members in ensuring that security.
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We’re expecting a press conference soon from Zelenskyy and the Coalition of Willing leaders after their afternoon summit – also attended by US envoys Witkoff and Kushner for the first time.
We’ll have the presser in a stream you can watch at the top of the page when it gets going.
The US has 1.3m active military personnel, Denmark 13,100
The re-emergence of the territorial lust for Greenland in the aftermath of the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has finally brought Nato itself sharply into focus, with the US explicitly challenging the historical sovereignty of Denmark, a fellow ally.
Nobody would realistically expect any of Nato’s 31 other members to defend Greenland militarily if the US sought to seize it, a point emphasised by Trump’s adviser Stephen Miller overnight. The real world, he said, was “governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power” – not treaties or mutual support.
Nor would they have any hope of doing so. The US has 1.3m active military personnel, across all its services; Denmark 13,100. Nato figures show the US was expected to spend $845bn on defence in 2025, the other 31 allies a combined $559bn. The ease with which the US was able to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, is a demonstration of the scale of sheer American power.
The alliance’s membership may not even change even if the US did take Greenland. There is no clear provision in the Nato treaty for expelling a country. Nevertheless, one member turning on another, even over an Arctic territory with a population of less than 60,000, would undermine the credibility of the 76-year-old military alliance, intended to ensure peace and mutual protection across Europe and the North Atlantic.
“If any European states harbour any illusions they can rely on US security guarantees, then this is the wake-up call we are not returning to that world,” says Marion Messmer, a director at the Chatham House thinktank.
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How a US takeover of Greenland would undermine Nato from within
The idea that one Nato country could attack another – a US invasion of Greenland – is so alien that the most famous article in Nato’s founding treaty does not distinguish clearly what would happen if two of its members were at war.
Article 5, the cornerstone of mutual protection, dictates that “an armed attack against one or more” in Europe or North America shall be considered “an attack against them all”. Simple enough if the military threat comes from Russia, but more complicated when it comes from easily the alliance’s most powerful member.
“If the US chooses to attack another Nato country, everything will stop,” Denmark’s prime minister Mette Fredriksen said on Monday. The military alliance may well continue to exist, but its effectiveness will be called into fundamental question; the obvious beneficiary, an already aggressive Moscow.
So that “Coalition of the Willing” meeting between 35 European leaders in the Elysees Palace has been underway the last few hours. Here are a few pictures of the various state heads arriving.
We can expect a press conference around 17:45 GMT.
In comments just now to House Republicans, Donald Trump has characterised the weekend strikes on Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, as “amazing” and “brilliant”.
“It was amazing. And think of it, nobody was killed. And on the other side, a lot of people were killed,” Trump said. “They knew we were coming, and they were protected, and our guys weren’t. You know, our guys are jumping out of helicopters … it was so brilliant.”
The president called the operation “brilliant tactically” and “an incredible thing”. He added that the deposed leader, Nicolás Maduro, is a “violent guy”.
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To switch back to Greenland quickly, the territory’s prime minister released comments shortly after the joint statement from seven European countries defending the Danish territory.
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain joined Denmark in saying they would defend the “universal principles” of “sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders”.
“This support is important at a time when fundamental international principles are being challenged,” Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote on social media. “For this support, I wish to express my deepest gratitude.
“At a time when the President of the United States has once again stated that the United States is very serious about Greenland, this support from our allies in Nato is both important and unequivocal.”
He said Washington should seek a respectful dialogue with Greenland via the correct diplomatic and political channels built on existing agreements.
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The Russians haven’t moved an inch on their maximalist demands on Ukrainian territory, and Trump has not appeared to exert any significant pressure on Putin to come to a deal.
So while this Coalition of Willing meeting is hashing out European security guarantees for after the war, more needs to be done to get there.
“The Coalition of the Willing has been sustained as an idea and military planning for some time now, to provide to reassurance to Ukraine and a means of demonstrating European investment – ‘skin in the game’ – to a sceptical US,” says Mr Savill from Rusi.
“But it has to start producing more concrete outcomes in terms of US involvement, security guarantees, and European participation, otherwise it will just look like a talking shop.”
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US President Donald Trump is now giving remarks at the Kennedy Center in DC so I’ll bring you any lines he mentions on Ukraine, Nato, Greenland, Venezuela and any other issues.
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A ceasefire is still needed first
While these details of what support the US and Europe could offer Ukraine post-war are interesting – a European-led defence force supported by Washington, US-led monitoring of a ceasefire – the key thing is that we’re still far from an end to the war, given Russia has shown no sign it’s ready to stop fighting.
So this “reassurance force” of measures is just “what happens after a ceasefire, rather than being a means to getting to one”, points out analyst Matthew Savill, from the London-based Royal United Services Institute defence and security think tank.
“European countries an the US would ideally be increasing support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia to get to a deal, otherwise this post-ceasefire work will only exist on paper,” he tells the Guardian.
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Multinational force would ensure 'regeneration of Ukrainian armed forces' - draft statement
We have some more of the draft statement – drawn up by Ukraine’s western allies – now. In the event that that end to this war is achieved – it would provide crucial security guarantees to Kyiv to help deter future Russian aggression.
“There will be a continuous, reliable ceasefire monitoring system. This will be led by the US with international participation,” the draft statement said.
The multinational force to be deployed after a ceasefire would provide “reassurance measures in the air, at sea and on land” for Ukraine and ensure the “regeneration of the armed forces of Ukraine”, it added. “These elements will be European-led”.
There would be US participation in the force “including US capabilities such as intelligence and logistics”, and “a US commitment to support the force in case of attack” by Russia, it said.
There would also be “binding commitments to support Ukraine in the case of a future armed attack by Russia in order to restore peace”.
These commitments “may include the use of military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives, adoption of additional sanctions,” it said.
Russia has repeatedly opposed any Nato boots on the ground in Ukraine to monitor a halt in hostilities.
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According to AFP reporting of this draft statement, the US would lead a “ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism” that would involve the Europeans, in the eventuality of a ceasefire.
In addition, the US would also commit to “support” a European-led multinational force – deployed in Ukraine after an eventual ceasefire – “in case of” a new attack by Russia.
Details about this arrangement are thin at the moment but we will continue to bring you the latest as we get it.
Reports US committing to supporting multinational defence of Ukraine in event of another Russia attack
Some other key lines emerging from this draft summit statement, reported by news wire AFP.
It reportedly says the US is committing to supporting a multinational Ukraine defence force if Russia were to attack again.
Also, that the US would lead efforts in monitoring a ceasefire.
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Zelenskyy discussed more defences for Ukraine with Macron
Zelenskyy also wrote on X about 15 minutes ago that he’d had a meeting with Macron where they had discussed further supplies of defence weapons.
“Diplomacy and real assistance must go hand in hand. Russia does not stop its strikes against our country, and right now we need to bolster air defence to protect our people, our communities, and critical infrastructure.
“Every delivery of air defence missiles saves lives and boosts the chances for diplomacy. That is why every meeting must yield concrete results – new decisions regarding air defence, new assistance packages, and new capabilities to protect the skies.
“During our meeting with President Macron, this was exactly what we discussed – Ukraine’s real capabilities to counter Russian terror, our defence, and the support that can strengthen our positions in diplomacy.”
He also shared a video of their meeting in the palace.
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Zelenskyy earlier shared video of him stepping off a Ukraine-flagged plane upon arrival in France.
He wrote on Telegram that there would be “important negotiations” with allied leaders of the “Coalition of the Willing” today, with the Nato secretary-general and the US delegation.
He called them “negotiations that should give more protection and strength to Ukraine.
“We count on the support of partners and steps that can guarantee real security for our people.”
What Denmark has said
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was quick to push back on Monday against Trump’s renewed call to takeover Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of the Danish kingdom.
She said an attack by the US on a Nato ally would mean the end of the military alliance and “post-second world war security”. It would, she warned, mark the end of “everything”.
In her statement today released jointly with six other European countries (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain) she stressed: “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
With Trump having refused to rule out the use of force to take Greenland, the Danish foreign policy committee has called an extraordinary meeting of the Danish parliament on Tuesday night to discuss its relationship with the US.
It will be attended by the foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and the defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen.
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Miller ramped up Trump's Greenland threat
Back to the Greenland issue and while we’ve had that statement from European leaders this morning, vigorously defending Denmark, I’ll also flag what Stephen Miller, the US president’s deputy chief of staff for policy said a few hours ago.
He told CNN that military intervention would not be needed in order for the US to gain control over Greenland because of its small population – which he incorrectly stated as 30,000 when it is roughly 57,000.
He also suggested that Denmark does not have a right to the Arctic territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom. Copenhagen continues to control Greenland’s foreign and security policy.
Asked whether military action against Greenland was off the table, he said:
“The real question is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?”
He added: “The US is the power of Nato. For the US to secure the Arctic region to protect and defend Nato and Nato interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the US. And so that’s a conversation that we’re going to have as a country. That’s a process we’re going to have as a community of nations.”
There was, he said, “no need to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily over the future of Greenland. That doesn’t make any sense.”
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Just wanted to remind readers of the key outcomes parties are working on at the Paris summit today.
We’ve just had a smidge of detail on commitments allies would provide to Ukraine were Russia to attack again.
But allies are also working on securing consensus on:
Ways to monitor a ceasefire.
Any deployments of a multinational force to protect Ukraine.
Continued support and investment for Ukraine’s military (given they will be the first line of defence against any more Russian aggression).
Long-term plans for defence co-operation with Europe and Nato.
Of course an actual ceasefire would also require Russia to agree to any of the above that would be eventually hashed out in a common Ukraine-Europe-US position. Moscow has shown no sign so far that is ready and willing to end fighting.
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Europe would commit to binding guarantees to protect Ukraine, draft statement shows
European allies would commit to “politically and legally binding” guarantees to protect Ukraine “in the case of a future armed attack by Russia in order to restore peace”, a draft Coalition of Willing statement reads, according to Reuters.
“These commitments may include the use of military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives, adoption of additional sanctions,” said the draft.
The statement is being put forward at the summit today at the Elysee Palace and still needs sign-off.
The statement says such a “system of politically and legally binding guarantees” will be “activated once a ceasefire enters into force”.
You would assume that such pledges would be legally binding but explicitly spelling it out is no doubt a relief to Ukraine. The detail of what those guarantees actually consist of is still unclear beyond the vague categories above.
Analysts had noted that it was hoped if European leaders could firm up their commitments to Ukraine at today’s meeting, that would encourage the US to consolidate their pledges to Ukraine on security support.
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Zelenskyy arrives for EU-US talks on peace
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has also just arrived at the Élysée Palace for talks with European leaders and US officials. He was warmly greeted by Macron.
Earlier we saw some lines from a draft statement from the “coalition of the willing”, I’ll go through them soon.
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So we’ve just had that statement from the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain, and Denmark on the issue of Greenland, following Trump’s explicit coveting of the Danish territory in the Arctic.
It’s a fairly robust message saying Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can make decisions on its future.
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Europe says Arctic security should be achieved 'collectively with Nato allies including US'
They note that Arctic security “remains a key priority for Europe” and for Nato.
Security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively, in conjunction with Nato allies including the United States.”
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European allies 'are stepping up' in the Arctic
Their statement also says they “will not stop defending” the UN Charter principles, “including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders”.
Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.”
They say they’ve their presence, activities and investments, “to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries. They stress that “the Kingdom of Denmark - including Greenland - is part of Nato.”
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European leaders issue joint statement defending Denmark and Greenland
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain, and Denmark have just issued a joint statement on Greenland saying the Arctic territory belongs to Denmark.
“It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
The statement does not directly refer to the US but emphasises the importance of adhering to international law and UN Charter principles of respecting sovereign territory and borders.
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What guarantees have been discussed so far
Before Venezuela, Witkoff last week had indicated progress in talks on measures to protect Ukraine against future Russian aggression.
On 31 December, he had tweeted that the “productive” discussions with national security advisers of Ukraine, UK, France and Germany had focused on “strengthening security guarantees and developing effective deconfliction mechanisms to help end the war and ensure it does not restart.”
France, which with the UK has led the months-long efforts for a ceasefire, has given some detail of such a security plan.
Macron has said that the Ukrainian military would be the first line of defence against any Russian fighting starting again, and it would be backed by the coalition’s training, weapons and other support.
He has also suggested that European forces might be deployed away from Ukraine’s front lines to help deter future Russian aggression.
Last week, Zelenskyy also revealed that the US had agreed to security guarantees of up to 15 years – although what those guarantees would look like in the shape of troop or resource deployment was unknown.
Zelenskyy this past weekend also said that potential European troop deployments still face hurdles and “not everyone is ready” to commit forces.
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Before the US’s flagrant operation removing the Venezuelan leader, French president Macron had expressed optimism about today’s “coalition of willing” nations.
On 31 December, Macron said Western allies would “make concrete commitments” at the summit “to protect Ukraine and ensure a just and lasting peace.”
Prospects for peace now have been upended, with US focus now squarely on Venezuela and Trump’s Greenland takeover suggestion stoking alarm in Europe.
What Trump has said on Greenland
The US president was openly speculating about the Danish territory on the weekend, after his Venezuela operation.
“It’s so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen said in rebuttal that Trump has “no right to annex” the territory and that Denmark already provides its Nato ally significant access to Greenland through existing security agreements.
Poland says Denmark can rely on European solidarity regarding Greenland
Denmark can count on the solidarity of all of Europe on Greenland, says Polish PM Donald Tusk, after Trump asserted this week again that he wanted to take over the Arctic island.
Tusk echoed Denmark’s comments yesterday that any US attack on the Danish territory would be catastrophic for the Nato coalition.
“No member should attack or threaten another member of the North Atlantic Treaty. Otherwise, NATO would lose its meaning if conflict or mutual conflicts occurred within the alliance,” Tusk said.
The various key players are arriving at the talks – including Witkoff and Kushner.
The US delegation today was supposed to be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however he won’t be attending any more because of the military operation in Venezuela.
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The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is attending the “coalition of the willing” meeting today in Paris co-chaired by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer.
The Canadian PM, Mark Carney, arrived earlier this morning for bilateral talks with Macron. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the Danish PM, Mette Frederiksen, will also be there.
Zelensky is expected to arrive around 11.10am for a meeting with Macron, before meeting the US delegation, which includes the special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy had addressed his nation saying “meetings in Europe … must become yet another contribution to our defence and to hastening the end of the war.
“Ukraine will be prepared for both possible paths ahead – diplomacy, which we are pursuing, or continued active defense if the pressure from our partners on Russia proves insufficient. Ukraine seeks peace.”
The main meeting will take place just after 2pm, with a press conference expected around 5.45pm.
Details of long-term security guarantees for Ukraine are expected to be the focus of discussion, as well as the prospect of future Ukrainian membership of the EU. Given the US aggression in Venezuela, we can also expect comments from European leaders responding to Trump’s various territorial threats.
Morning opening: Ukraine on the agenda at a perilous moment
Good morning and welcome to our live blog of a critical day in meetings between European world leaders and US officials.
The leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Denmark and Canada are all in Paris today for a meet that was scheduled last week to aid Ukraine, in the wake of Zelenskyy’s end-of-year talks with the US president, Donald Trump, to negotiate peace.
However, that was all planned before the US’s attack on Venezuela and abduction of its leader, which has upended the geopolitical calculus to say the least. Not only has it emboldened actions from states like Russia, the leaders of Nato democracies are now contending with Trump’s very active threat of grabbing territory like Denmark’s Greenland.
Despite the US’s clear violation of international law, most European leaders have also deferred from outright condemnation due to the stakes at play.
They are at a perilous position with Ukraine – in meeting with the Americans today they were trying to get the Trump administration to underwrite any security guarantees. But Trump is flouting the rules-based order – and the threat now from the US is even closer to hand for Denmark and Canada.
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Denmark says a US attack on Greenland would be end of security order
An attack by the United States on a Nato ally would mean the end of both the military alliance and “post-second world war security”, Denmark’s leader has warned, after Donald Trump threatened again to take over Greenland.
Fresh from his military operation in Venezuela, the US president said on Sunday the US needed Greenland “very badly” – renewing fears of a US invasion of the largely autonomous island, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom. Greenland’s foreign and security policy continues to be controlled by Copenhagen.
Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, warned on Monday that any US attack on a Nato ally would be the end of “everything”.
“If the United States decides to militarily attack another Nato country, then everything would stop – that includes Nato and therefore post-second world war security,” Frederiksen told Danish television network TV2.
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