The President speaks at a press conference in Paris after welcoming around 30 countries and representatives from both the EU and NATO at the Élysée Palace.
According to him, the most important thing is that Ukraine continues to have a strong army, and that France and the UK will therefore soon send their defense chiefs to Ukraine to discuss what the Ukrainians need.
In addition, France and the UK will take command of an international "security force" that can be deployed when a peace agreement is in place.
It will not have the task of being peacekeeping, it will not be at the front, it will not replace the Ukrainian army. But it will be a support, placed in certain strategic areas, to show sustained support and be a deterrent to potential Russian aggression, says Macron.
"Several countries" participate
The President does not disclose which countries are willing to participate in the force, other than that it involves "several European countries". At the same time, it is emphasized that not everyone agrees - but that it is not necessary either.
This security force is something that Ukraine wants. There is no agreement on it, but it is not something that is required, says Macron.
Already on Wednesday, he stated that a potential force will also be ready to "react and respond" to attacks against it, reports news agency AP.
Macron emphasizes at the same time that one still hopes for support and guarantees from the USA, and he himself has regular phone contact with President Donald Trump, for example after receiving Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj on Wednesday evening.
Sanctions remain
Zelenskyj himself warns of Russia's intentions.
Russia does not want any peace at all, he says according to the French newspaper Le Figaro after the meeting, side by side with the UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Starmer is also critical of Moscow.
It is completely clear that Russia is trying to delay things, that they are playing a game and we must be completely clear about it, says Starmer.
According to him, there are clear consequences of this.
Firstly: continued support for Ukraine so that they will be in as strong a position as possible. Secondly: complete clarity that it is not time to lift the sanctions, rather the opposite, says Starmer in Paris.
