Macron, Zelenskyy discuss western troop potential deployment to Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy have discussed the potential deployment of Western troops to Ukraine, according to a statement by Zelenskyy on the social platform X.

The Ukrainian leader described the talks as “fruitful,” with a focus on bolstering Ukraine’s position against Russian aggression. He highlighted air defence capabilities as a priority and stressed the need for “reliable guarantees” to achieve peace.

“We had a detailed discussion focused on the main priorities for further strengthening Ukraine’s position against Russian aggression. A clear emphasis remains on strengthening air defence capabilities. We share a common vision: reliable guarantees are necessary for peace, which can really be achieved,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Zelenskyy also underscored Macron’s initiative for the presence of international forces in Ukraine, suggesting that their deployment could help stabilise the country’s path toward peace. “We continued to work on President Macron’s initiative on the presence of forces in Ukraine, which could help stabilise the path to peace,” he added.