Macron: 26 Nations Ready to Send a “Reassurance Force” to Ukraine Once the Guns Go Quiet

France’s Emmanuel Macron says 26 of Kyiv’s allies are prepared to put boots on the ground—after a ceasefire—under a “reassurance force” meant to lock in Ukraine’s security and deter further Russian offensive.

Speaking in Paris after a meeting of the 35-country “coalition of the willing,” Macron said the commitments span land, sea, and air deployments. The mission, he stressed, isn’t about fighting Russia: “It does not have the will or the objective of waging war,” but to prevent any “new major aggression.”

Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy both said Washington has signaled readiness to be part of the plan, though the format isn’t public yet.

“The planning work will be finalized with the United States,” Macron noted.

European leaders also spoke by phone with President Donald Trump, who pushed Europe to tighten sanctions, stop buying Russian oil and gas, and apply more economic pressure on China.

Macron didn’t list the 26 countries or their exact contributions. Germany backed the idea of rebuilding and strengthening Ukraine’s armed forces but wants clarity on conditions and US involvement before any troop decision. NATO chief Mark Rutte waved off Moscow’s objections: Ukraine is sovereign, he said—Russia doesn’t get a veto.

Zelenskyy called for strong, legally binding guarantees—“not another Budapest Memorandum”—and said he’s ready for a meeting with Vladimir Putin in any format, arguing Russia is stalling. He also pressed for air defense and more sanctions to starve the “Russian war machine.”

Even as leaders talked guarantees, Ukraine reported 112 strike and decoy drones launched overnight; air defenses downed or jammed 84. Russia, meanwhile, expelled an Estonian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move. Putin said a negotiated end is possible “if common sense prevails,” while also warning he’s ready to finish the war by force.

The 26-country plan now heads to the US for finalization in the coming days. European capitals are aligning on tougher sanctions, especially on energy. Any reassurance force would deploy only after a ceasefire or peace deal is in place—and is meant to deter relapse, not wage a new war.

The message from Paris: Europe is ready to underwrite the peace, but the shape of that security umbrella—and Washington’s footprint—will decide how sturdy it really is.

The Associated Press, Reuters, the Guardian, and Al Jazeera contributed to this report.