President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with General Thierry Burkhard, Chief of the Defense Staff of the French Armed Forces, and Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defense Staff of the United Kingdom.
The key focus of the meeting was security guarantees for Ukraine and the future architecture of peace in Europe. The Head of State noted tangible progress and the first details regarding how a partner security contingent could be deployed.
“We are discussing presence on land, in the air, and at sea, as well as air defense. And some other sensitive matters. I believe we will be meeting weekly – not at my level, but at the level of our military. Specific locations are being discussed separately. There is already a strong understanding among our partners of what Ukraine needs,” President Zelenskyy stated.
During the meeting, Ukrainian, British, and French military officials discussed the preparation and the state of operational planning in order to be able to swiftly implement the plans of the coalition of the willing in the event of a cessation of hostilities. Ukraine is ready for a just and durable peace, which must be protected by the strength of international support.
The President expressed gratitude to the United Kingdom and France for their leadership in the coalition of the willing, as well as to all participating countries for their consistent support of Ukraine. The Head of State emphasized that it is precisely this kind of joint work that helps bring a durable and lasting peace closer.
“This is not the first meeting, but I believe it is one of the first truly fundamental ones. And it is very important that we will now work in this format regularly, with tangible results,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.
The President noted that the Chiefs of Defense will report the outcomes of the meeting to the leaders of France and the United Kingdom, as well as to the military command structures of partner nations.
