Zelenskyy attends 'coalition of the willing' summit on Ukraine in Paris

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Paris for a critical diplomatic summit with a group of nations that have pledged support for Ukraine's defense and potential post-ceasefire security. The meeting, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, brings together a "coalition of the willing" consisting of approximately 35 countries led by France and the United Kingdom.

Schedule and participants

According to the Élysée Palace schedule, President Macron will first hold a working meeting with Zelenskyy, followed by a joint working lunch that includes a visiting U.S. delegation. The American contingent, as reported by Axios, is set to include special envoy Steve Witkoff and former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The main leaders-level summit is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Objectives of the coalition meeting

The coalition, which has expressed willingness to deploy troops in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, is expected to assess the status of peace talks, review draft peace plans, and discuss concrete modalities for providing long-term security guarantees to Ukraine. The meeting follows a weekend gathering of national security advisers from 15 countries in Kyiv and a separate meeting of military chiefs of staff in Paris focused on implementing security assurances.

Diplomacy amid shifting alliances

The summit represents a continued effort by a core group of Western nations to maintain solidarity with Kyiv and plan for a postwar security architecture, even as U.S. policy shows signs of potential shift. For nations like Türkiye, which pursues an independent mediation role and advocates for a diplomatic solution, such coalition meetings highlight the complex, multi-track diplomacy at play and the challenges of achieving a unified international stance that leads to a sustainable peace rather than prolonged confrontation.