The aid package includes funding for anti-tank missiles, surface-to-air missiles and drones to help protect Ukraine against Russian air and ground attacks, France 24 reported.
Zelensky arrived in Paris on Wednesday to discuss the war between Ukraine and Russia ahead of Thursday's scheduled meeting in Paris with representatives of Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Ukraine and other nations dubbed the "coalition of the willing," the Kyiv Independent reported.
The coalition consists of about 30 nations that have expressed interest in helping Ukraine and are to gather at the Elysee Palace in Paris to discuss how they might help maintain Ukrainian security while working to end the war that started when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The coalition of respective national leaders will discuss military support for Ukraine and strengthening its military while potentially deploying a peacekeeping force to Ukraine to enforce a possible cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, Le Monde reported.
With the United Kingdom and France participating in the coalition supporting Ukraine, Europe's two nuclear powers are among those pledging to support Ukraine and potentially deploying troops to maintain a peace if a cease-fire is arranged between Ukraine and Russia.
Macron on Wednesday suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin has a "desire for war" and said the coalition meeting Thursday will need to determine how it could ensure Ukraine's security against Russian aggression.
Zelensky also might travel to the United States next week to sign an economic deal that could require President Donald Trump to increase sanctions on Russia if necessary to enforce a cease-fire.
Zelensky on Wednesday told media U.S. special envoy Steven Witkoff and other U.S. officials of being influenced by "Russian narratives" while promoting a cease-fire deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The United States on Tuesday reached separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia to cease attacks on the Black Sea and against energy targets in Ukraine and Russia.
Russian officials have said the agreements won't go into effect unless sanctions against some Russian banks end.
Croatia will not take part in Ukraine force: president
Zagreb (AFP) Mar 27, 2025 -
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic on Thursday vowed that his country's soldiers would not participate in any deployment of European forces in Ukraine aimed at helping end the over three-year-war.
His comments came as France hosted a summit of European leaders and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to boost Ukrainian security ahead of a potential ceasefire with Russia.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic attended the meeting, which sought to set out what security guarantees Europe can offer, including the possible deployment of military forces by a so-called "coalition of the willing".
"A Croatian soldier will not go to Ukraine under any arrangement, that is completely out of the question," Milanovic, who won a second term by a landslide in January, said on Facebook.
"The Croatian Army will not go on a mission, and one of the reasons is that this mission will never happen, with or without Croatia, because the elementary conditions for this mission have not been met -- a peace agreement and the consent of the other party, which is unfortunately Russia," he added.
Milanovic has been a frequent critic of the military aid and Croatia's plans to help train Ukrainian troops.
As a NATO and EU member, Croatia has donated hundreds of millions of euros in aid to help Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion, including military helicopters.
Despite having limited powers, the president serves as the supreme commander of Croatia's armed forces and has a say in its foreign policy.
Plenkovic told Croatian reporters in Paris that a lot of the summit participants "want to continue helping Ukraine, as Croatia will do, without having the ambition to send their army to Ukrainian territory".
He pledged the continuation of Croatia's "strong support to Ukraine".
Milanovic's political opponents have frequently accused him of holding "pro-Russian" views and undermining Croatia's credibility in NATO and the EU.
But Milanovic, the most popular politician in the country of 3.8 million people according to surveys, repeatedly argued that his main task was protecting Croatia's interests.
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