European Defence Ministers Vow To Strengthen Ukraine Aid And Military Strategy At Paris Meeting

Defence ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland met in Paris on Wednesday, promising tangible action to shore up European defence and offer security guarantees to Ukraine. The meeting takes place as the United States is reaching out to Moscow, worrying European allies.

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov attended the first session, which was dedicated to military assistance for Kyiv. A second session discussed strengthening the collective defence capabilities of Europe.

“European countries are rallying around,” stated Britain’s Defence Secretary, John Healey. “By enhancing our defence partnership, raising spending, and fortifying our collective forces, we make it plain as day we stand with Ukraine and the values we share.”

The meeting, held at the historic Val-de-Grace military complex was attended by officials from the European Union and NATO. As European two nuclear powers, France and Britain have stepped up their blitz to marshal European support for Ukraine, at least partly because US policy under President Donald Trump is moving toward a more conciliatory approach with Russia.

The gathering came a day after a separate meeting on Tuesday in which 34 army chiefs from NATO countries, plus Japan and Australia, met in Paris. US representatives did not attend. The leaders discussed support for Ukraine and security guarantees, including possibly deploying European peacekeepers.

Trump’s pressure for a rapid solution to the Ukraine crisis has unsettled long-standing Western defence planning. To counter this, European leaders have pledged to support strengthening Ukraine’s defence and speeding up rearmament.

After Tuesday’s meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron underlined the need to shift from talking points to workable proposals, setting out plausible security options for a lasting peace in Ukraine, an Elysee source said.