World

Key Ukraine talks overshadowed by US focus on Venezuela

Jan 6, 2026

Ukrainian soldiers fire an anti-tank missile system during a drill — Ukraine's "coalition of the willing" is meeting in Paris for talks on the country's war with Russia. -AP

Ukraine's allies are meeting in Paris for key talks that could help determine the country's security after a potential ceasefire with Russia.

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However, prospects for progress are uncertain with the Trump administration's focus shifting to Venezuela.

Before the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, French President Emmanuel Macron had expressed optimism about the latest gathering of so-called "coalition of the willing" nations.

For months, they have been exploring how to deter any future Russian aggression should it agree to stop fighting Ukraine.

In a December 31 address, Macron said allies would "make concrete commitments" at the summit "to protect Ukraine and ensure a just and lasting peace".

Macron's office said Tuesday's meeting would gather an unprecedented number of officials attending in person, with 35 participants including 27 heads of state and government.

The US will be represented by President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Macron's office said the US delegation was initially set to be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who changed his plans for reasons related to the military intervention in Venezuela.

Participants seek concrete outcomes on five key priorities once fighting ends: ways to monitor a ceasefire; support for Ukraine's armed forces; deployment of a multinational force on land, at sea and in the air; commitments in case there's another Russian aggression; and long-term defence co-operation with Ukraine.

But whether that is still achievable Tuesday is not so clear now, as Trump deals with the aftermath of his decision to effect leadership change in Venezuela.

Ukraine seeks firm guarantees from Washington of military and other support seen as crucial to securing similar commitments from other allies.

Kyiv has been wary of any ceasefire that it fears could provide time for Russia to regroup and attack again.

Before the US military operation targeting Maduro, Witkoff had indicated progress in talks about protecting and reassuring Ukraine.

In a December 31 post, Witkoff tweeted that "productive" discussions with him, Rubio, and Kushner on the US side and, on the other, national security advisers of Britain, France, Germany and Ukraine had focused on "strengthening security guarantees and developing effective deconfliction mechanisms to help end the war and ensure it does not restart".

France, which with the United Kingdom has co-ordinated the months-long, multination effort to shore up a ceasefire, has given only broad-brush details about the plan's scope.

It says Ukraine's first line of defence against a Russian resumption of war would be the Ukrainian military and that the coalition intends to strengthen it with training, weaponry and other support.

Macron has also spoken of European forces potentially being deployed away from Ukraine's front lines to help deter future Russian aggression.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at the weekend that potential European troop deployments still faced hurdles, important details remained unfinalised, and "not everyone is ready" to commit forces.

He noted that many countries would need approval from parliament even if leaders agreed to military support for Ukraine.

But he recognised that support could come in forms other than troops, such as "through weapons, technologies and intelligence".

Zelenskiy said that post-ceasefire deployments in Ukraine by Britain and France, Western Europe's only nuclear-armed nations, would be "essential" because some other coalition members could not provide troops, although they would provide other support such as financial assistance and humanitarian aid.