French President Emmanuel Macron says European forces could be "a card in the hand of the Ukrainians" to dissuade the Russians from launching another attack once a peace deal is struck.
Speaking on Wednesday, local time, Mr Macron also warned Russia was still showing a "desire for war" despite efforts to forge a ceasefire in Ukraine.
His comments come as the French president welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to Paris ahead of a summit aimed at boosting Ukrainian security under a potential truce.
The so-called "coalition of the willing" is expected to discuss measures to guarantee security for Ukraine if a ceasefire deal is eventually reached.
Speaking alongside Mr Zelenskyy, Mr Macron said this was now a "decisive phase to put an end to the war of aggression" Russia had waged against Ukraine, as the US reached out to Moscow in search of a deal.
He also announced a new French 2 billion euro ($3.4 billion) military aid package for Ukraine, with Paris ready to rapidly ship existing hardware from its stocks.
He said Russia must accept a 30-day ceasefire offered by Ukraine "without preconditions" as he accused Moscow of still showing a "desire for war" and praised Kyiv for having "taken the risk of peace".
"Russia shall have no right of say regarding the support we are providing and will provide Ukraine, nor shall they set the conditions," Mr Macron said.
"There is just one aggressor and one party that is resisting."
Discussions about European forces
Mr Zelenskyy said it was still too early to discuss what "specific roles" European forces would play in Ukraine in the future to ensure Russia did not attack again once a settlement was agreed.
He said the question now was about "who will be ready" to take part in such missions.
"No-one wants to drag any country into a war," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Macron stressed European forces would not be on the front line and would not be in Ukraine to fight.
"It is a pacifist approach," he said.
The French president also accused Russia of making "new conditions" and not responding to the ceasefire offer.
"Ukraine has clearly expressed to the United States its agreement to a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, even though it is the victim of the aggression," Mr Macron said.
"We expect the same commitment from Russia."
Mr Zelenskyy said he was expecting "strong decisions" from the meeting on Thursday, which will include the likes of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
"Now is definitely not the time to reduce pressure on Russia or weaken our unity for the sake of peace," he said.
The Ukrainian president also accused Russia of "dragging out" the conflict despite US peace efforts.
"We need to put pressure on Russia so that the war ends indeed," he said.
Concerns US 'under the influence' of Russian narratives
Speaking later to a panel of European journalists in Paris, Mr Zelenskyy said he was concerned some in the US were "under the influence of Russian narratives".
"We will be fighting those narratives," he said.
Mr Zelenskyy said he hoped the US would stay strong amid pressure from Moscow to lift sanctions as a condition for a Black Sea ceasefire.
"We’ve shown our resilience to everyone, and now it’s very important that our partners be resilient and strong," he said.
Asked if the US would be able to resist Russian demands, he said: "I hope so. God bless, they will. But we'll see."
When questioned on how he would be remembered by the history books, Mr Zelenskyy said this was not his "purpose or goal".
"This is my goal — to see my kids walking along the streets without hiding," he said.
ABC/AFP
