Dubbed the "Coalition of the Willing" – key Ukrainian allies are set to gather with top US envoys in Paris on Tuesday to discuss security guarantees, as they press ahead on US-brokered plans to end the war with Russia.
The summit of the group of Ukraine supporters is the latest of several meetings planned for the new year as diplomatic efforts to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II have gained pace in recent weeks.
It comes as overnight Russian strikes triggered a fire at a private medical clinic in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, killing one person and wounding three others, the authorities said.
The pre-dawn attack also killed one man in his 70s in the neighbouring city of Fastiv, the Kyiv regional governor said.
Representatives of 35 countries, including 27 heads of state, will gather in Paris, with the French presidency saying the meeting aims to show the "alignment" between Washington, Kyiv and European allies on security guarantees for Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will attend the meeting of the coalition, launched in the spring by France and the United Kingdom.
Macron demands 'robust security guarantees' before any Ukraine territorial talks
An adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron said the new meeting is the culmination of efforts launched after Donald Trump's arrival at the White House to prevent "the United States from abandoning Ukraine".
"We have succeeded in this exercise of realignment between Ukraine, Europe and America," the adviser told journalists on Monday.
According to diplomatic sources, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to attend, along with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Canada's Mark Carney.
Reassurance
The leaders are set to commit in particular to their shared vision of what a ceasefire would look like between Ukraine and Russia, and their response in case of violations.
They will also discuss the deployment of a multinational force to "reassure Ukraine" as part of a possible political agreement, the French presidency said, with decisions still being "finalised" on Monday.
To lay the groundwork, security advisers from 15 countries, including Britain, France and Germany as well as representatives from NATO and the European Union, gathered in Kyiv over the weekend, with Witkoff joining virtually.
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Kyiv said in recent days a deal was "90 percent" ready, though both Moscow and Kyiv remain at odds over the key issue of territory in any post-war settlement.
Russia, which occupies around 20 percent of Ukraine, is pushing for full control of the country's eastern Donbas region as part of a deal.
But Kyiv has warned ceding ground will embolden Moscow and said it will not sign a peace deal that fails to deter Russia from invading again.
(with AFP)
