KRAKÓW, Poland: Major European powers on Friday said any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia must include “robust” security guarantees for Kyiv, as they pledged continued military support and launched a joint air defence initiative.
The declaration came after defence ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland met in the southern Polish city of Kraków. Their Ukrainian counterpart joined part of the talks.
Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia held discussions in Geneva earlier this week but failed to reach a breakthrough.
Security guarantees ‘integral’
In a joint statement, the European ministers said “ensuring the sovereignty and lasting security of Ukraine shall be an integral part of a peace agreement, and that any settlement will have to be backed up by robust security guarantees for Ukraine”.
They added that “strong Ukrainian Armed Forces are the first security guarantee for a Ukraine in peace”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Kyiv that his country was ready to make “real compromises — but not compromises at the cost of our independence and sovereignty”.
‘Establishment of durable peace’
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said pressure on Moscow must continue.
“We are deeply convinced that only maximum pressure from sanctions, from measures against the shadow fleet and Ukrainian successes on the battlefield can persuade Putin to back down,” he said.
French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said European security depended on “the establishment of a durable peace based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
“A ceasefire must never be a prelude to a new aggression,” she said.
Britain and France have been leading preparations for a possible multinational force to help secure Ukraine during any transition to peace.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in January that France could deploy “several thousand” troops to Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly objected to any military presence from NATO countries on Ukrainian soil.
New air defence initiative
Separately, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the five countries had launched a new programme to develop low-cost air defence weapons to protect European skies.
At the European Group of Five (E5) meeting in Kraków on Friday, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland unveiled the “Low-Cost Effectors & Autonomous Platforms” initiative, known as LEAP.
The programme aims to develop advanced, affordable air defence systems, including autonomous drones and missiles. The first project is expected to be delivered by 2027.
Britain’s Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, said the initiative would strengthen NATO’s capabilities.
“The UK and our E5 partners are stepping up — investing together in the next generation of air defence and autonomous systems to strengthen NATO’s shield and keep our people safe,” he said in a statement.
Pollard said European nations were ready “to deter, defend and if necessary, fight, together”.
The first focus of LEAP will be a new surface-to-air weapon designed to counter drone and missile threats.
The British ministry said the programme would prioritise speed and adaptability, drawing on lessons from Ukraine’s battlefield innovation.
The initiative will invite proposals from major defence manufacturers as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.
London said it was also scaling up cooperation with European allies on long-range precision and hypersonic weapons, with spending on related projects exceeding £400 million this financial year.
The E5 grouping, which brings together Europe’s five biggest defence spenders, said it would continue reinforcing NATO’s defences, strengthening industrial resilience and supporting Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.
