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LAST UPDATE | 20 Mar
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL Macron has announced the leaders of a coalition of countries that back Ukraine would meet again in Paris next week, hoping to finalise plans to secure a potential truce in the war with Russia.
The announcement from Macron came less than a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it was “crucial” that European leaders continue to support Ukraine and do everything possible to keep Russia under financial and political pressure.
Speaking virtually to European leaders meeting in Brussels, Zelenskyy urged EU member states to approve €5 billion in funding for artillery shells to be sent to Ukraine so that it can continue its fight against a Russian invasion.
“We will hold another meeting of the coalition of the willing next Thursday in Paris in presence of President Zelenskyy,” Macron told reporters following the EU summit.
“We will finalise our work on short-term support for the Ukrainian army, on defending a sustainable model for Ukraine’s armed forces to prevent Russian invasions, and security guarantees that European armies can provide,” he said.
“The entire process will be finalised in the next few days.”
I addressed the European Council and emphasized that if we say Europe should be stronger in global competition, we must also discuss making European decision-making faster, more flexible, more effective – whether in politics, defense, economics, industry, or any other area. pic.twitter.com/TRIPAzYSeR
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 20, 2025
It comes as Ukraine and the US are seeking that Russia, who launched its aggressive take over attempt on Ukraine over three years ago, agree to a partial 30-day ceasefire on energy networks and civilian infrastructure.
Zelenskyy told the EU summit that he spoke to US President Donald Trump yesterday and both leaders agreed to work together to ensure a ceasefire can be agreed. He added, however, that that does not mean pressure should be waived from Russia.
He pleaded with EU leaders to continue tough financial sanctions on Russia, and to not remove them until Russian President Vladimir Putin orders his troops to retreat from Ukraine and has paid for the damaged caused to the country.
Zelenskyy took time to commend the EU for its plans to increase defence spending in light of the invasion of Ukraine, which includes a number of key funding commitments for the continued support of his country.
In doing so, he also called on the EU to put pressure internally on leaders within its borders who wish to stop Ukraine’s accession process to become a member of the EU. It was a very clear and direct protest to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
A number of previous calls to remove Hungary’s voting rights in the EU came after Orbán visited Ukraine, Russia and China on so-called ‘peace missions’, falsely claiming to be representing the EU.
Orbán, seen as Putin’s closest ally in Europe, has repeatedly voted against and vetoed supportive statements and aid deliveries to Ukraine at EU leaders’ summits, and did so again today.
A statement from the Council following the conclusion of today’s talks reaffirmed the EU’s support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. It also said the bloc would continue to supply financial support to Ukraine, without announcing a specific figure.
The statement was approved by 26 of the 27 member states, with Hungary being the only state abstaining.
The far-right leader, who fell out with the EU after the Commission revoked funding over concerns of alleged breaches in the rule-of-law in Hungary, repeated this action at the most-recent EU summit.
As it did today, the Council published its statement in support of Ukraine anyway during the last summit, under a clause that all but one member state had approved the message. MEPs from a range of political parties commended the leaders for doing so in Strasbourg this week.
Today, Zelenskyy said: “It is simply anti-European when one person blocks decisions important for the entire continent or that have already been agreed upon.”
He said that his country has fulfilled the requirements to join and claimed the only delay was with people blocking votes to support accession. The path to membership can take decades and Ukraine has a number of commitments to reach but, recently, there has been support – including from Ireland – to fast-track its application.
“European efforts that should be bringing more security and peace are also constantly being obstructed,” Zelenskyy said. “This is wrong. Europe must have a way to prevent individual actors from blocking what’s necessary for all.”
He described the conversation with Trump as “positive”, despite conflicting accounts coming from the discussion, where the US President claimed his country would take control of all nuclear power plants in Ukraine but Zelenskyy said just one was discussed.
It was the first time the two leaders spoke since the disastrous Oval Office meeting in Washington D.C earlier this month, which ended after Trump and his Vice President JD Vance began shouting at the Ukrainian President.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 372 prisoners, Moscow officials said yesterday, which was planned as a goodwill gesture following the Trump-Putin call. Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of continuing attacks, however.
Moscow said it destroyed 132 Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks in several regions throughout the country, while Zelesnkyy claimed today that Putin launched more than 170 drones on civilian and energy infrastructure in the last 24 hours.
The Ukrainian President said that Russia’s attacks overnight was evidence that the EU leaders should look to as proof that Putin is not ready to accept a peace deal, temporary or not, and the reason why he needs continued support.
Includes reporting by AFP and David Mac Redmond
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