French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that the signing of security guarantees committed for Ukraine, including the deployment of a multinational military force with 800,000 personnel, was a "significant step that would dissuade further aggressions onUkraine.

The robust security guarantees would ensure Ukraine will not be forced to surrender, and any peace deal will not be violated in the future, Macron told reporters after a meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing which comprise countries allied with Ukraine.

The summit, hosted by Macron,gathered an unprecedented number of officialsin person including European leaders, Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyand American envoys.

Zelensky said that the summit had clarified details of how a European deterrence force would operate in Ukraine following a ceasefire, as well as which countries would participate on a voluntary basis.

These include plans for a multinational force in air, sea, and land to guarantee any peace agreement and the building of military hubs across Ukraine by the UK andFrance.

While Italy ruled out the use of its troops on the ground for security guarantees,Germanysaid its troops could join multinational force but not inside Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the US agreed to lead a "ceasefiremonitoring and verification mechanism" with European participation in the event of a peace deal being agreed.

US envoySteve Witkoffsaid he and fellow envoyJared Kushnerwere prepared to do anything necessary to work with our European colleagues to achieve peace.

US President [Donald] Trump fervently believes that the killing has to stop, Witkoff added.

Zelensky added that Ukraine planned to sign agreements with the US in the near future, and that these should be guarantees based on legal commitments agreed by the US congress.

The Ukrainian president also reiterated a call for more air defence systems to help protect Ukraines critical infrastructure and cities,which remain a target for Moscow, and criticised Russia as being the source of this war

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Ukraine has never been an obstacle to peace, Zelensky said.

His words were echoed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer who said despite being closer than ever to achieving peace in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is not showing he is ready to make peace.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)

Originally published on France24