Draft: US to monitor ceasefire in Ukraine

TT

Updated 15.02 | Published 10.09 

           

           

          US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrive for the meeting in Paris on Tuesday.

          1 / 2Photo: Thomas Padilla/AP/TT

Heads of state and government from around 30 countries are now gathering in Paris to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, among other things.

The US will lead the monitoring of a future ceasefire, according to a draft meeting statement.

According to the draft, which AFP and Reuters, among others, are reporting on, the US will support a multinational force in Ukraine if Russia violates the ceasefire. The letter also contains binding commitments for Ukraine's allies after the end of the war, specifically in the event of a future armed attack from Russia.

“These commitments could include the use of military resources, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives, and the adoption of additional sanctions,” the draft reads, according to Reuters.

The document has not yet been approved by the leaders gathered in Paris. Moscow has not yet signaled its willingness to accept such an agreement.

Witkoff and Kushner

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and more than 20 other leaders, are in place at the Élysée Palace in Paris for Tuesday’s meeting.

Before the start of the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped for concrete commitments to protect Ukraine and secure a just and lasting peace.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) will be attending from Sweden.

“While we and Ukraine are taking concrete steps towards peace, Russia continues to do the exact opposite. We will continue to support Ukraine, increase pressure on Russia and strengthen our own defense,” he wrote on X shortly after arriving in Paris.

Norway opens up for soldiers

During the meeting, the leaders will try to reach agreements on several points that deal with the time after the end of the war: how a ceasefire should be monitored, support for Ukraine's defense and the launch of a multilateral force on land, at sea and in the air.

Norway is also opening up for soldiers on the ground in Ukraine. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, also on the ground in Paris, states that Norway and its neighboring countries will contribute concretely to Ukraine's security after the war.

– The Nordic-Baltic countries are taking on the responsibility of building a Ukrainian brigade, he says according to the NTB news agency and continues:

– We do not rule out that Norwegian military personnel can also train Ukrainian military in Ukraine.