European defence ministers meet in Paris to discuss Ukraine and rearmament

The defence ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland met in Paris on Wednesday, promising concrete steps to boost European defence and provide security guarantees for Ukraine as Washington pursues rapprochement with Moscow.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was invited to attend an initial meeting to discuss aid for his country, after which a second meeting would focus on building up European defence capabilities.

"European nations are stepping up," said Britain's defence secretary, John Healey.

"By deepening our defence cooperation, boosting spending and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message: we will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values."

France and Britain, Europe's two nuclear powers, have worked closely together over the past few weeks to rally European support for Ukraine amid U.S. unpredictability.

The meetings, held at the Val-de-Grâce former military hospital in Paris, were also due to be attended by European Union and NATO officials.

The meetings come a day after 34 army chiefs, from NATO countries as well as Japan and Australia, met in Paris for rare talks that excluded their U.S. counterparts.

They focused on backing Ukraine and providing security guarantees for a future peace deal, including providing potential European peacekeepers.

U.S. President Donald Trump's moves to build closer ties with Russia and seek to rapidly end the Ukraine war have upended years of western defence thinking, prompting European nations to pledge Ukraine support and talk of rapid rearmament.

After Tuesday's meeting, French President Macron said the time had come to "move from concept to plan" to define credible security guarantees to ensure a solid and lasting peace in Ukraine, according to an Elysee source.

A press conference was scheduled following Wednesday's meetings at 18:30 CET.

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