Reuters: five EU defence ministers meet in Paris to discuss Ukraine
Defence ministers from five EU countries gathered in Paris on Wednesday 12 March and pledged to take concrete steps to strengthen European defence and provide security guarantees to Ukraine.
As reported by Reuters, defence ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Poland – John Healey, Sébastien Lecornu, Boris Pistorius, Guido Crosetto and Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz – met in Paris.
It was also noted that Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov had been invited to the first meeting to discuss assistance to Ukraine, while the second meeting will focus on enhancing European defence capabilities.
"European nations are stepping up. By deepening our defence cooperation, boosting spending and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message: we will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values," said UK Defence Secretary Healey.
The meetings took place a day after 34 army chiefs from NATO countries, along with those from Japan and Australia, gathered in Paris for talks that did not include their American counterparts.
They focused on supporting Ukraine and providing security guarantees for a future peace deal, including possible European peacekeepers.
In his speech last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a meeting of the chiefs of staff from the "coalition of the resolute" regarding Ukraine.