European leaders to meet on 4 September to discuss guarantees for Ukraine – FT

The Financial Times has reported that European leaders will gather in Paris on Thursday 4 September to continue high-level talks on future security guarantees for Ukraine.

Source: the Financial Times (FT), citing three unnamed diplomats

Quote: "Those who met Trump in Washington are expected to gather in Paris on Thursday at the invitation of France's President Emmanuel Macron to continue the high-level discussions, three diplomats briefed on the plans told the FT."

Details: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are reported to be among those attending the meeting.

In an interview with the FT, von der Leyen said that European capitals are working on "pretty precise plans" for a possible deployment of troops in Ukraine as part of post-war security guarantees that would have US backing. She believes that there is a "clear road map" for such a deployment.

Von der Leyen stated that last week defence ministers from the Coalition of the Willing had met and "worked out pretty precise plans", including discussions of "the necessary items for a functioning build-up of troops".

"Of course, it always needs the political decision of the respective country, because deploying troops is one of the most important sovereign decisions of a nation. [But] the sense of urgency is very high… It's moving forward. It's really taking shape," she noted.

Background: 

• Merz said the Russo-Ukrainian war might last a very long time and the issue of deploying ground troops to Ukraine is not on the agenda for now.
• The Telegraph outlined the general contours of the security guarantees for Ukraine that the Coalition of the Willing and the US are prepared to offer as part of a potential peace agreement to prevent further Russian aggression.

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