'Coalition of the Willing' supports Trump's efforts to end Ukraine war

Britain, France, and Germany supported U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, emphasising that any solution must fully involve Ukraine, following their Coalition of the Willing meeting on Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they were "clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force."

"This remains one of the fundamental principles for preserving stability and peace in Europe and beyond," the leaders said in a joint statement. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed readiness to advance a U.S.-backed framework for ending the war with Russia, emphasizing the need for security guarantees to ensure Ukraine's long-term defense.

Speaking at a virtual meeting with the Coalition of the Willing’s 35 member states, co-chaired by Macron, Starmer, and Merz, Zelenskyy underlined that peace cannot be achieved without substantial security support for Ukraine.

"We cannot relax or forget that Ukraine still needs defense support, security support, support of all our resilience every day," Zelenskyy said.

"As long as Russia has not taken real steps toward demobilization, we do not have the right to stop working to support Ukraine."

The leaders reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to Ukraine and agreed on key measures to maintain pressure on Russia.

Starmer stressed the need for further sanctions, including a full embargo on Russian energy, and pledged that the UK was ready to work with the EU on using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's financial support.

"We must keep the pressure on Russia," Starmer said. "This is the best way to show Putin he should negotiate rather than trying to out-wait us."

Macron announced the formation of a joint task force led by France and the UK with participation from the U.S. and Türkiye. The task force will define the terms of Europe’s military support in a future peace deal.

Macron described it as essential to have a "reassurance force" to support Ukraine’s military and consolidate its position.

"We decided to launch a working group from tomorrow, driven by France and Great Britain in close association with Türkiye, which plays a key role in the maritime aspect, and, for the first time, with the involvement of the United States," Macron said.

The meeting concluded with a unified message from the leaders, emphasizing that lasting peace would depend on firm, continued pressure on Russia and robust security guarantees for Ukraine.

The leaders agreed that negotiations could move forward, but peace will only be achieved once Russia shows genuine commitment to de-escalation.

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