Western allies gather in Paris to discuss continued aid for Ukraine
More than two dozen leaders met in Paris for a "Coalition of the Willing" summit to reaffirm military support for Kyiv, while EU officials said a consensus on a new sanctions package against Russia has not yet been reached.
More than 25 heads of state, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, convened in Paris for a "Coalition of the Willing" summit aimed at sustaining military assistance for Kyiv. The meeting, organized by France and the United Kingdom, is scheduled a day before France's Bastille Day celebrations and is expected to address air and missile-defence cooperation and the readiness of a multinational force for post-conflict deployment.
Zelenskyy highlighted anti-ballistic missile defence as Ukraine's top priority, saying the talks could create "significantly greater opportunities" for building a new system. He also met French President Emmanuel Macron during the summit.
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters that EU foreign ministers have not yet reached agreement on the 21st sanctions package against Russia. She said the bloc hopes to agree on about 250 new listings but that "there are still some open questions" regarding the package, as well as issues such as prisoners of war and civilian abductions.
Separately, Russian authorities reported three deaths from Ukrainian drone strikes in the Moscow region, while the Russian Defense Ministry said it had downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones overnight. The ongoing conflict continues to generate civilian casualties on both sides.