Conclusions of the Paris summit on Ukraine – summary
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Key European leaders stressed that it was “not the time” to start lifting sanctions against Russia, as they called out Moscow’s delaying tactics in responding to a US-led ceasefire proposal in Ukraine (14:07, 14:18, 14:29).
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French president Emmanuel Macron said there was currently no unanimity among all participants in the Paris summit on sending a European-led reassurance force to Ukraine, although he stressed it was not required to advance plans for its deployment.
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Macron outlined the structure of a future security guarantee proposed by the “coalition of the willing,” with further support for the Ukrainian army, a reassurance force stationed away from the frontline but offering support in “strategic” areas, and a broader push to rearm and coordinate better among the participating countries (14:52).
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The French president said that Europe must prepare for any scenario, including one where its security initiative would not be supported by the US, but he appeared to repeatedly suggest that US president Donald Trump could change his mind once it becomes clear that Russia does not engage with his plans in good faith (15:00).
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UK prime minister Keir Starmer confirmed plans for French, British and German army chiefs to travel to Kyiv to help with planning support for future Ukrainian army, as part of a broader push to offer reassurance to the country, and a new Ukraine defence contact group meeting “to marshal more military aid and keep Ukraine in the fight” (15:09).
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Starmer also repeatedly called out Russia for “playing games and … playing for time,” saying he would want to see progress in “days and weeks, not months and months” (15:17).
Key events
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Russia wants to divide Europe and US, Zelenskyy says, as he explains progress on minerals deal with US
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Zelenskyy starts press conference after Paris summit
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Conclusions of the Paris summit on Ukraine – summary
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Starmer sidesteps questions on EU-UK defence, security pact to not affect talks
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Trump’s tariffs ‘very concerning,’ but need pragmatic response, Starmer says
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Europe-led force ‘designed to deter, send message to Putin that this deal is going to be defended,’ Starmer says
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Starmer suggests parliament would need to approve deployment of UK troops to Ukraine
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‘We need to see this developing in days and weeks,’ Starmer says
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Starmer calls out Russia’s ‘filibustering’ and ‘playing games’ on ceasefire, peace talks in Ukraine
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Starmer’s press conference begins
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Macron outlines process for checking legal options, helping future Ukraine army, defining Europe-led reassurance force
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Macron challenges Russian ‘untruths’ on Ukraine and its evasive response to ceasefire
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Europe united in condemning Russia, supporting Ukraine, Poland’s Tusk says
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Macron’s press conference starts
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Lifting Russian sanctions would be ‘a serious mistake,’ Germany’s Scholz says
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Starmer says Russia ‘is playing games,’ hints at push for more sanctions
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Paris meeting on Ukraine wraps up
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We need talks, not tariffs, Ireland’s foreign, trade minister says
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‘America is not stepping away,’ UK defence secretary says, dismissing speculation on US giving up Nato’s top military command
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Macron spoke with Trump before Paris summit – media
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Proposal to automatically give babies mother’s surname ignites row in Italy
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German agriculture minister pick withdraws after protests
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Poland suspends right to claim asylum at Belarus border
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Denmark criticises Trump’s ‘escalation’ on Greenland ahead of JD Vance’s visit
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Search for missing US soldiers continues in Lithuania
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Zelenskyy arrives at the Élysée as Paris talks begin
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Élysée arrivals – in pictures
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The stage is set – Élysée Palace
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Putin shows he is not a serious player in peace talks, Starmer warns
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Trump announces 25% tariffs on overseas cars, threatens with further tariffs against EU
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Morning opening: Bienvenue à Paris
Russia wants to divide Europe and US, Zelenskyy says, as he explains progress on minerals deal with US
In his first question, Zelenskyy gets asked about the role of the US, and he says it is “undoubtedly very important.”
He repeats his accusation that Russian president Vladimir Putin “doesn’t want” peace and wants to divide Europe and America.
“His Kremlin machinery has been working it more for more than one year, dividing weakening Europe, dividing the European Union, dividing the United States of America, dividing the united states, states from within, in terms of support for Ukraine or not supporting Ukraine,” he says.
Zelenskyy then gets asked about the prospect of signing a new minerals deal between the US and Ukraine.
He says that the US has changed its approach to the deal, which was originally meant to be signed as a framework agreement first, followed by a detailed one, but now the US wants to pursue a full agreement.
He says there appears to be a reverse process to the one previously discussed, but says that lawyers at looking at proposals, ready to work through it.
“But I wouldn’t like to leave the United States with the feeling that Ukraine is against in general; we have shown constantly our [will] and have been sending positive signals,” he says.
Asked specifically about whether there are any prospects of him making another visit to the White House, he says there are currently no such plans.
Zelenskyy starts press conference after Paris summit
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy opens by saying that it is important that “lifting of any sanctions on Russia” will not happen until “a fair and just peace” is agreed.
He also welcomes new support packages for Ukraine, and adds there is a broader “vision” in terms of how Ukraine could be supported in the future.
He also thanks France for lighting up the Eiffel Tower in the Ukrainian colours last night, “demonstrating to the rest of the world what kind of support Ukraine enjoys” from partners.
We’re expecting to hear from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon. I will bring you the key lines here.
Conclusions of the Paris summit on Ukraine – summary
-
Key European leaders stressed that it was “not the time” to start lifting sanctions against Russia, as they called out Moscow’s delaying tactics in responding to a US-led ceasefire proposal in Ukraine (14:07, 14:18, 14:29).
-
French president Emmanuel Macron said there was currently no unanimity among all participants in the Paris summit on sending a European-led reassurance force to Ukraine, although he stressed it was not required to advance plans for its deployment.
-
Macron outlined the structure of a future security guarantee proposed by the “coalition of the willing,” with further support for the Ukrainian army, a reassurance force stationed away from the frontline but offering support in “strategic” areas, and a broader push to rearm and coordinate better among the participating countries (14:52).
-
The French president said that Europe must prepare for any scenario, including one where its security initiative would not be supported by the US, but he appeared to repeatedly suggest that US president Donald Trump could change his mind once it becomes clear that Russia does not engage with his plans in good faith (15:00).
-
UK prime minister Keir Starmer confirmed plans for French, British and German army chiefs to travel to Kyiv to help with planning support for future Ukrainian army, as part of a broader push to offer reassurance to the country, and a new Ukraine defence contact group meeting “to marshal more military aid and keep Ukraine in the fight” (15:09).
-
Starmer also repeatedly called out Russia for “playing games and … playing for time,” saying he would want to see progress in “days and weeks, not months and months” (15:17).
Elsewhere, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen offered her take on today’s meeting, saying the “coalition of the willing” got “bigger, stronger, and very determined.”
She repeated the key lines on supporting Ukraine financially and militarily, keeping pressure on Russia, and long-term support for EU and Ukrainian defence industry.
“Of course we need also a credible deterrence and defence posture in the European Union, and thus we have to develop our own defence industrial base, too,” she said.
In the Q&A, Starmer also gets asked about French and British nuclear deterrence and suggestions it could be shared by more European countries.
He says “we do commit that to Nato, so in that sense, we are already committed” to sharing.
He also gives a general line that “it is good, in my view, for the defence and security of Europe when France and Britain are working as closely as they currently are on defence and security.”
And that concludes his press conference.
Starmer sidesteps questions on EU-UK defence, security pact to not affect talks
Starmer is also asked about the prospect of a EU-UK defence and security pact, which is reportedly being delayed by a lack of agreement on fishing issues.
He jokingly says he would “resist the temptation to start talking about fish,” as she stresses that “I do not think running commentary has helped in the past on any of these matters.”
He goes into a general comment on his government’s reset of EU relations, saying that “I think it’s fair to say that relations with our European partners are very much stronger now than they’ve been for some considerable period and that is a good thing for the defence and security of Europe.”
He gets pushed on this in a follow-up question, but side steps it once again:
“My strong view is that the best chance of getting a reset that works for both the United Kingdom and the EU is not to engage in negotiations and discussions outside of the arrangements that we set up.
That was tried a number of times in the past, and to my mind, didn’t work particularly well.
So I don’t want to avoid your question, but I don’t want to get dragged into the very thing that I want to avoid, which is trying to have some sort of open negotiation through press conferences, rather than the orderly way that I think is most likely to be to achieve the results we need and actually to be the right thing in our national interest.”
Trump’s tariffs ‘very concerning,’ but need pragmatic response, Starmer says
Starmer gets asked by the Guardian’s Kiran Stacey about his response to Trump’s tariffs announced overnight.
He says:
I think the tariffs are very concerning. There’s no doubt about that.
He adds that his intention is to engage with industries and sectors to work out Britain’s response, but he stresses the need to be “pragmatic and clear-eyed.”
We are engaged, as you know, in intense discussions with the US on economic arrangements, on a number of fronts, but including to mitigate tariffs.
And we’ll continue in that way, because I think that rather than jumping into a trade war, it is better, pragmatically, to come to an agreed way forward on this, if we can, and that’s why we’re intentionally engaging in the way that we are.
Europe-led force ‘designed to deter, send message to Putin that this deal is going to be defended,’ Starmer says
Starmer also gets a question from a French journalist about Macron’s comments that the pair are now “co-piloting” the coalition.
He says that “a number of countries” asked the two of them to take a leading role, as they focus on “taking that effort forward and into the next stages.”
But he says it is not about the two of them, but about the group of countries responding collectively, with Europe “stepping up” to this new role.
Asked about the details of any future force that could be deployed to Ukraine, he says it would build on the strength of the Ukrainian army with “a force designed to deter, in order to send that message to Putin that this is a deal that is going to be defended.”
Starmer suggests parliament would need to approve deployment of UK troops to Ukraine
Starmer rejects criticism from Russia, saying it cannot guide Europeans in what they want to achieve.
He also gets a question on whether his plans for deploying supporting forces in Ukraine would require a vote in parliament, replying “we are not at that stage.”
But he goes on to say:
We are at the stage of turning the political momentum into operational plans, looking at the various options, and then going for the next piece of work with the Chiefs of Defence.
But you know my longstanding position, which is, if we were to deploy in any scenario on a long term basis, then of course, parliament should have a say in that.
Starmer is also asked about whether it is realistic to push for a ceasefire, or whether the focus should be on putting Ukraine in a position to enable them to make more progress in countering Russia.
He says that president Trump was “absolutely clear” that he wants a lasting peace in Ukraine, and that is the focus.
But what is different, he says, that Europeans are willing to step in and “answer the question, if there’s a deal this time, why will it hold in the way that the deals in the past have not held?”.
He stresses the importance of political leadership that shows “the strongest Europe in a very long time.”
“If we can provide that leadership backed up by operational plans, then that is the best chance, in my view, of achieving the outcome that we all want,” he says.
‘We need to see this developing in days and weeks,’ Starmer says
Starmer gets asked about what he sees as the deadline for this operation.
He says:
“I don’t want to put a hard deadline on this, but we need to see this developing in days and weeks, not months and months, and we need to move on to that space.”
He says the focus is on continuing to put more pressure on Russia “to get to the table, to actually negotiate, and be really clear that they are filibustering, they are delaying, and we have seen this playbook before.”
He says that the key task will be to “be ready to operationalise a peace deal whatever its precise shape turns out to be.”
Starmer calls out Russia’s ‘filibustering’ and ‘playing games’ on ceasefire, peace talks in Ukraine
Starmer opens his press conference by calling out Russia that “over two weeks since Ukraine agreed to an immediate, 30-day ceasefire, that offer is still unanswered” by Russia, with continuing bombardment of Ukraine.
He said that on the Black Sea initiative, Russia “set out new conditions and delays,” saying US president Trump “rightly called them out for dragging their feet.”
He goes on to say:
“We agreed here in Paris today that it’s clear the Russians are filibustering. They are playing games and they’re playing for time.
It is a classic from the Putin playbook, but we can’t let them drag this out while they continue prosecuting their illegal invasion.”
Building up on what Macron said earlier, Starmer says UK defence secretary will chair the new Ukraine defence contact group meeting on 11 April “to marshal more military aid and keep Ukraine in the fight.”
He also confirms plans for French, British and German chiefs of defence to go to Kyiv to discuss how to support Ukraine army in the future.
He sums up today’s meeting:
“This is Europe mobilising together behind the peace process on a scale that we haven’t seen for decades, backed by partners from around the world.
We are determined to deliver a just and lasting peace because we know that it is vital for Ukraine and Europe as a whole, and I am clear that it’s also vital for Britain.