Europe pledges boots-on-the-ground to enforce cease-fire as officials hammer out Ukraine security guarantees

WASHINGTON — Twenty-six countries have formally pledged to provide Ukraine with troops as a reassurance force once “a cease-fire or peace can be found,” French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday following a meeting of Europe’s “Coalition of the Willing.”

The forces would go “where needed, be it on the land, in the air or by sea” to help keep peace between Ukraine and Russia as part of a security guarantees package, Macron said at the Paris meeting, also attended by US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff.

“Now these military forces are not there to wage war against Russia — they are forces just there to ensure peace and to send a clear strategic message,” he said.

President Trump has said he will not put US boots on the ground in Ukraine, but has previously been open to the contributing air support. He is expected to hold a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — who also attended the meeting — on Thursday.

Europeans also signaled interest in sending Ukraine additional long-range weapons to fire into Russia during the Thursday meeting.

“The Prime Minister … welcomed statements from Coalition of the Willing partners on supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles to further strengthen the country’s defensive stocks,” the British government said in a statement Thursday.

Ukraine has also recently developed its own long-range missile, dubbed the “Flamingo.”

Leaders of more than 30 countries attended the meeting, held in Paris. The US is not a member of the coalition, but Witkoff — who has traditionally handled the Moscow side of American efforts to secure an end to the war — was in attendance representing the US.

“Discussing the latest military planning for the Coalition of the Willing, the prime minister emphasized that the group had an unbreakable pledge to Ukraine, with President Trump’s backing, and it was clear they now needed to go even further to apply pressure on Putin to secure a cessation of hostilities,” the United Kingdom said in its statement.

That military planning included “coordinat[ing] positions and review[ing] elements of security guarantees,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post to X.

“We discussed in detail each country’s readiness to make a contribution to ensuring security on land, at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace,” he said. “… I am grateful to everyone for understanding that the main security guarantee is a strong Ukrainian army.”

Zelensky said the coalition shares “the same view that Russia is making every effort to drag out the negotiation process and prolong the war.”

“Support for Ukraine must be increased and pressure on Russia must be intensified,” he said.

The Ukrainian president additionally said the European Union is preparing to issue its 19th sanctions package targeting Russia, with Japan “also working on sanctions measures.”

“I thank everyone for this important work, for supporting our people, and for their willingness to continue standing with Ukraine and helping us protect lives,” he said.

“I would like to give special thanks to President Trump for all his efforts to end this war and for America’s readiness to provide support to Ukraine on its part.”

It comes as Washington pushes Europe to join in its proposed secondary sanctions on any country that purchases Russian oil, a senior White House official told The Post on Tuesday.

Some European nations continue to buy Russian oil — Moscow’s No. 1 source of income for its war machine — and the Trump administration is calling them out.

“The US wants Europe to join in sanctions with Washington and to stop purchasing oil,” the official said.

“The US wants to see the Europeans step up in their support for Ukraine’s security and prosperity after the war.”

The Post reached out to the White House for comment.