'Putin will die soon': Zelenskyy predicts Russian leader's death amid health rumours

Despite ongoing Russian attacks, including 117 strikes on Ukraine on Tuesday night, Zelenskyy remained confident that US pressure would force Putin into an unconditional ceasefire.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that a proposed European armed force, which could be deployed in Ukraine alongside a future peace agreement, would be able to “respond” if Russia launched another attack.

Speaking after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and ahead of a summit in Paris with around 30 nations, Macron said the proposed force could be stationed in “important towns” and other strategic locations.

“If there was again a generalised aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would, in fact, be under attack and then it’s our usual framework of engagement,” Macron said. “Our soldiers, when they are engaged and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it.”

Alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Macron has been leading efforts to form a coalition of nations willing to support the deployment of European forces in Ukraine. The goal is to deter future Russian aggression while ensuring long-term stability.

Macron clarified that the forces would not be stationed on the frontlines or engage in immediate combat with Russian troops. Instead, they would act as a deterrent by securing key towns and bases. “So we are not on the frontlines, we don’t go to fight, but we are there to guarantee a lasting peace. It’s a pacifist approach,” he said. “The only ones who would, at that moment, trigger a conflict, a bellicose situation, would be the Russians if they decided again to launch an aggression.”

The summit at the Élysée Palace on Thursday will bring together 31 delegations, more than the previous meeting in February, signalling growing international support for assisting Ukraine.