Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Ukraine's partners to be "at least as resilient" as Ukraine in the face of the conditions set by Russia for the implementation of the Black Sea ceasefire agreement.
Speaking to reporters in Paris ahead of a meeting of European and other partners on Thursday, Zelensky said he had agreed to continue ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia to ensure continued US aid and intelligence sharing.
The White House reported that the talks resulted in an agreement to "develop measures to implement" recent commitments regarding stopping attacks on energy facilities and a ceasefire in the Black Sea.
However, Russia is demanding the fulfillment of numerous conditions, including the easing of sanctions, in exchange for adhering to the agreement.
"We have shown our resistance. And now it is very important that our partners are at least as resilient as we are, even though they have more capabilities," Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president spoke alongside his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris ahead of a "coalition of the willing" summit on defense.
Amid the highly strategic diplomacy launched by the United States to end the war in Ukraine, European leaders are trying to secure a seat at the negotiating table, but have so far been excluded from talks that have included Moscow, Kiev and Washington.
Macron said the formation of a European security force would be a topic of discussion on Thursday, but stressed that the force would not be on the front lines and would not be tasked with monitoring or enforcing the ceasefire, a job he suggested could fall to UN peacekeepers.
Instead, he said, European troop-backing forces would be stationed further inside Ukraine to deter Russia and provide training and support to Ukrainian forces.
Whether this initiative will result in action remains to be seen.
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy involved in talks with Russia and Ukraine, called the coalition idea "simplistic".
A few hours before the start of that meeting, Macron announced that France would provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth two billion euros that would include anti-tank missiles, air defense systems, Mirage combat missiles, armored vehicles, ammunition and other assistance.
"We must continue to provide direct support to Ukraine, this is essential to maintain resilience," Macron said after announcing the aid.
The coalition initiative was first presented by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a summit on March 2 in London, where European and other leaders discussed support for Kiev, and the gathering will bring together Germany, Poland, Britain and other coalition members who have pledged to support Ukraine.
More than 30 countries that are members of the European Union and NATO have expressed their willingness to contribute to the coalition's peacekeeping force.
According to Macron, the governments are expected to discuss further military assistance to Ukraine, the maintenance and monitoring of any ceasefire, the "future model of the Ukrainian army" and "the forces that will provide guarantees."
"This is a decisive phase for ending the war of aggression," Macron said on Wednesday at a joint press conference with Zelensky.
Macron accused Russia of showing a "desire for war" and insisted that Moscow must accept a 30-day ceasefire "without preconditions."
Speaking to reporters during a working visit to Jamaica, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would assess Moscow's conditions.
"We will evaluate that. Some of those conditions include sanctions that are not ours, they belong to the European Union," Rubio said at a news conference in Jamaica on Wednesday.
Macron, however, stressed in Paris that he would not lift sanctions because it was "too early" for that.
The comment came on the same day the EU said the "unconditional" withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine remained one of the key conditions for lifting or easing sanctions imposed by Brussels on Moscow.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday that he believes Trump "would not hesitate to tighten sanctions if it would give him an advantage in negotiations."
He added that tightening or easing sanctions would depend on further actions by the Russian leadership.
Besent added that the United States and Ukraine may sign a natural resources agreement next week.
The agreement was originally scheduled to be signed on February 28 during Zelensky's visit to Washington, but the signing ceremony was postponed after a heated argument between the Ukrainian president, Trump, and US Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office.
"We have submitted the complete document on the economic partnership. It is currently being reviewed by the Ukrainians and we hope that discussions will begin next week, and perhaps even signatures will be placed," Besent said.
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