Prime Minister Andrej Plenković described today’s meeting in Paris as important because many countries, each in their own way, have expressed their willingness to participate in the Coalition of the Willing. Some, he explained, will participate with forces that would be on the ground in Ukraine if a ceasefire were to occur and an agreement were reached, while other countries, such as Croatia, which will not send its soldiers to Ukrainian territory, will continue to provide political, diplomatic and military support to that country. He also considers it crucial to reach an agreement that would enable a lasting, just and sustainable peace.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković participated in the Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris today, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
In a statement to the media, the Prime Minister reported that the meeting, which was also attended by representatives of the United States of America and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, discussed peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine, primarily to achieve a ceasefire, and then a broader system of security guarantees that would be offered to Ukraine and that should prevent a new Russian aggression in the future.
Many countries have expressed willingness to participate in the Coalition of the Willing
He assessed today’s meeting as important because many countries have expressed their willingness, each in their own way, to participate in the Coalition of the Willing.
Some, he explained, will participate with forces that would be in Ukraine on the ground in the event of a ceasefire and an agreement, while some other countries, such as Croatia, which will not send its soldiers to Ukrainian territory, will continue to provide political, diplomatic and military support to that country.
The Prime Minister emphasizes that the most important thing is to reach an agreement that would enable a lasting, just and sustainable peace. He added that further talks will now follow in Washington, but also with Russia, in order, he said, to try to take advantage of this political moment that was achieved today in Paris.
Paris Declaration
He also told reporters that the Paris Declaration had been adopted, explaining that it was a political statement by the leaders who gathered today.
He added that it consists of five points that express the readiness to bring an end to the war and Russian aggression and to achieve peace.
The Prime Minister considers the participation of the United States of America to be an important element, primarily in monitoring the ceasefire that should take place. Then there is the strengthening of the Ukrainian army, which he assessed as crucial. He also mentioned the departure of multinational forces to Ukraine that would help maintain that peace and later, as he said, the entire system of guarantees that would allow for a response in the event of new aggression in a way that would enable Ukraine to have long-term peace.
He said that they also discussed what is called the “prosperity package”, which, he explained, is about overall assistance for the economic development and reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as for the functioning of the Ukrainian budget, whether it concerns regular activities or financing reconstruction. There was also discussion of Ukraine’s aspirations for membership in the European Union.
Efforts in stabilizing the situation
Recalling that the European Council had decided to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan to finance its 2026 and 2027 financial assistance, the Prime Minister stressed that today’s meeting had taken another step in the mosaic of stabilizing the situation and supporting the country, which has been a victim of Russian aggression for almost four years now.
Asked what the US representatives had said at this meeting, the Prime Minister said that the Americans were ready to work peacefully and mediate to reach a solution that would stop the war, and later they were ready to invest both publicly and privately in Ukraine in order to recover the economy of this great country.
Asked about what was next, the Prime Minister expressed his belief that bilateral talks between Ukrainian President Zelensky and US President Trump would certainly take place this month. He added that all world leaders would also gather at the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos. He also said that the next extraordinary European Council is scheduled for early February in Belgium, and if another one needs to be held in the meantime, it will take place.
“The intensity of the talks on achieving peace in Ukraine has entered a phase of great dynamics, but the most important prerequisite is that there is a ceasefire and that Russia ultimately gives its consent to the 20-point plan and 5 more documents that are being worked on in the coming weeks,” Plenković asserted.
Importance of unity of all NATO allies and transatlantic partnership
The Prime Minister told the journalists that there was no discussion about Greenland at today’s meeting and that the Danish Prime Minister in a certain way, between the lines, indicated how important the unity of all NATO allies and the transatlantic partnership is.
“For them, it is a non-topic, in the sense that it is out of the question to express de facto pretensions towards Greenland, which is part of Denmark. And there she has the support of everyone, not only these few leaders of major countries who made a statement, but everyone else within NATO, and the allies should respect each other and respect each other’s territorial integrity,” Plenković said.
Responding to questions from journalists, the Prime Minister also said that Venezuela and Greenland cannot be compared, explaining that the situation in Venezuela is completely different because, as he explained, Maduro, who practically lost the elections, remained in power, highlighting the poor economic and social situation in that country, as well as the dominant role of cartels involved in the production, distribution and marketing of drugs on the American market.
“On the other hand, of course, there are all the fences in terms of the international legal aspect of this kind of intervention that took place, but it is not really comparable,” concluded Prime Minister Plenković.