This is reported by Kyiv24
On January 7, negotiations involving the Ukrainian delegation, representatives from the United States, and European countries continue in Paris to develop security guarantees for Ukraine and establish a basic framework that will allow for the conclusion of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Ukraine’s delegation includes the head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, the first deputy head of the President’s Office, Serhiy Kyslytsia, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andriy Hnatov, the head of the Servant of the People faction, Davyd Arakhamia, and advisor to the President’s Office, Oleksandr Bevz.
The Paris Declaration and Guarantees for Ukraine
The day before, on January 6, negotiations of the “Coalition of the Willing” concluded in Paris regarding a plan to end the war and provide guarantees for Ukraine. The meeting included leaders from the EU, NATO, 27 countries, as well as representatives from Turkey, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States – notably, the U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
As a result of the negotiations, the Paris Declaration on “reliable security guarantees for a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine” was made public. The document provides for the possibility of deploying multinational forces on Ukrainian territory after the cessation of hostilities with the support of the United States.
“It is important that there are substantial documents from the coalition today; these are not just words, but specifics,” President Volodymyr Zelensky stated after the meeting.
Legal Enshrinement of Guarantees and International Support
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that security guarantees for Ukraine must be legally enshrined, particularly with the approval of the U.S. Congress. He also stressed that the territorial aspect of the U.S. peace plan, which includes 20 points, remains a key issue. The parties discussed several ideas that could help resolve this matter. The Ukrainian delegation remains in Paris for further negotiations.
For his part, U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff noted that the parties have largely completed work on security protocols designed to ensure that “the people of Ukraine know – when this ends, it will end forever.” He also added that negotiators are close to concluding the strongest agreement regarding the recovery and prosperity of Ukraine after the war, which will open new opportunities for the Ukrainian people.
A separate declaration of intent regarding the deployment of multinational forces in the event of a peace agreement was signed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of France Emmanuel Macron, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer. Starmer explained that this document creates a legal basis that will allow British, French, and other allied forces to operate on Ukrainian territory.
Kremlin representatives have repeatedly stated that such Western security guarantees, especially the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, are “unacceptable” for Russia.