Overview
- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent open letter to Vladimir Putin has prompted Western leaders to discuss direct talks and how to shape any future ceasefire plan.
- French president Emmanuel Macron invited members of the Coalition of the Willing to attend Bastille Day events in Paris and said they would use the gathering to discuss continued support for Ukraine.
- Macron announced he will meet with Ukrainian, U.K. and German leaders in an E3 format in the coming days to try to design how peace talks and security guarantees could be structured.
- European Commission and other EU officials have urged openness on formats and warned against preselecting mediators or narrowing participation, arguing that Russia might try to exploit exclusive tracks.
- The Coalition of the Willing is a loose group led by France and the U.K. of more than 30 countries offering potential security guarantees in a ceasefire, a move that could shift which states help write and enforce any settlement.