Zelensky meets with European leaders in Paris today

European leaders and Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky meet on September 4th in Paris, in a new effort to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin after he pledged that his country would fight in Ukraine unless a peace deal is reached.

In the West, anger has grown over what the leader says is the Russian president's unwillingness to reach an agreement to end the war Moscow launched against Ukraine three and a half years ago.

The summit, which will be led by leaders of France and the United Kingdom, aims to strengthen plans for security guarantees for Ukraine whether or when a ceasefire is reached, but also for leaders to have a clearer view of the United States' involvement.

However, Russia has rejected these guarantees, and Putin himself has said Moscow is ready “resolves all our military duties” in the absence of an agreement.

“We are ready, we Europeans, to offer security guarantees to Ukraine and Ukraine on the day the peace agreement is signed”, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday evening, speaking alongside Zelensky, REL reports Perskopi.

Macron said that the details of the guarantees are “confidential”, but “preparations have ended” during a meeting of defence ministers held earlier.

European leaders have been reserved in terms of the nature of guarantees, which are expected to include the deployment of European troops to Ukraine, training and US support.

Zelensky, for his part, said he was convinced that Kiev's allies would help “increase pressure on Russia to move towards a 55x1> diplomatic solution.

But, he also added that “relatively, we have still seen no sign from Russia that it wants to end the” war.

Hours before the talks began, Russia's Foreign Ministry said the guarantees for Ukraine were “absolutely unacceptable”.

“There is no guarantee of security for Ukraine, they are guarantees for the risk to the European continent”, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the margins of an economic forum held in Russia's Far East.

She added that Russia would not agree to discuss dislocation of foreign troops to Ukraine “in anysolation”. /Periscopi