Macron to host Ukraine coalition meeting in Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that the leaders of a coalition of Ukraine backers would meet again in Paris next week to finalize plans for securing a potential truce in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"We will hold another meeting of the coalition of the willing next Thursday in Paris in the presence of President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy," Macron told reporters following an EU summit in Brussels.

"We will finalize our work on short-term support for the Ukrainian army, on defending a sustainable model for Ukraine's armed forces to prevent Russian invasions, and on security guarantees that European armies can provide," he said. "The entire process will be finalized in the next few days."

Macron, together with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has been leading efforts to form a coalition in support of Ukraine since U.S. President Donald Trump opened direct negotiations with Russia last month to end the three-year-long conflict.

"We have done a lot of work with the British on ways to support the ceasefire," Macron said. "That is important to ensure any ceasefire is credible, as and when it comes."

"This will be a chance to discuss and fine-tune," the French leader added.

(With input from Reuters)