Coalition of G7 Leaders Discuss Momentum Toward Negotiated Settlement and Future Security Guarantees
London-UK, December 12, 2025
Coalition of the Willing Meets on Ukraine: A Critical Juncture for Peace
The Coalition of the Willing—a high-level grouping of countries spearheaded by the United Kingdom and France and backed by the G7 nations—convened a crucial meeting this week to discuss the rapidly shifting dynamics of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
The talks, which included President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, focused intensely on building Momentum Toward a Negotiated Settlement and finalizing the framework for long-term Future Security Guarantees for Ukraine.
The meeting comes at a pivotal and tense moment, as the United States, under the Trump administration, increases pressure on Kyiv to negotiate, while Russia continues its costly but steady battlefield advances in the East.
Co-chaired by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, the virtual summit saw participants from approximately 40 countries, including key NATO members and allies.
The primary goal of this latest session was twofold:
to solidify coordinated Western support for Ukraine’s defense capabilities, particularly air defense and long-range strike options, and, more urgently, to discuss the final shape of the “peace plan” that has been revised and negotiated over the past year.
European leaders emphasized that any solution must fully involve Ukraine, preserve its sovereignty, and be aligned with the principles of the United Nations Charter, countering fears that Kyiv might be forced into an unfavourable deal.
Headlines Points
High-Level Talks:
The Coalition of the Willing, including G7 leaders, met virtually to coordinate strategy on the war in Ukraine and the push for a peace settlement.
Negotiated Settlement:
Discussions focused on building Momentum Toward a Negotiated Settlement in 2026, with the US pushing for a rapid end to the conflict.
Security Guarantees:
A key priority was finalizing the framework for “rock-solid” Future Security Guarantees involving a multinational “reassurance force” to be deployed post-ceasefire.
Frozen Assets:
G7 Finance Ministers, following their recent declaration, reaffirmed their commitment to utilizing the full value of immobilized Russian sovereign assets to finance Ukraine’s recovery and military needs.
Territorial Integrity:
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stressed that issues of territorial integrity and “trade of lands” must not be part of the final deal, indicating ongoing tensions with the proposed peace models.
The Dual Pressure on Kyiv
Ukraine finds itself under intense, dual pressure:
military pressure from Russia on the front lines and diplomatic pressure from its allies to engage seriously in peace talks.
President Donald Trump has made ending the war a signature foreign policy priority, leading to several high-level bilateral meetings and the submission of a “peace plan” to both Kyiv and Moscow.
While Ukraine and its European partners have finalized their joint response to this plan, core disagreements remain, particularly regarding territorial concessions.
During the meeting, President Zelenskyy firmly reiterated that there could be “no compromise yet” on territory, a central plank of his 10-point peace formula which demands a full withdrawal of Russian troops.
Conversely, reports suggest the US peace proposal does not explicitly call for a Russian troop withdrawal from all of the occupied Donbas, placing immense strain on the Western alliance’s unity of purpose.
The leaders of the Coalition of the Willing were therefore tasked with bridging this divide, ensuring that the necessary momentum for talks does not come at the expense of Ukraine’s long-term security and sovereignty.
The Cornerstone: Future Security Guarantees
Central to the Coalition’s agenda was the development of a robust and immediate mechanism for ensuring Ukraine’s security the moment hostilities cease.
The Future Security Guarantees are not envisioned as a NATO deployment, which Russia vehemently opposes, but rather an “intergovernmental coalition” force, often dubbed a “reassurance force” or Multinational Force–Ukraine (MNF–U).
This force, led by the UK and France, would be ready to deploy immediately following a comprehensive ceasefire agreement. Its role would be to regenerate Ukraine’s land forces, provide air policing, and clear naval mines in the Black Sea to restore maritime access.
The leaders agreed to activate teams to finalize the framework for this deployment, acknowledging that previous security promises to Ukraine—like the Budapest Memorandum—were insufficient to deter aggression.
French President Macron emphasized that these must be “real rock-solid guarantees” to prevent any future Russian aggression.
Furthermore, the meeting solidified the G7’s financial commitment, with finance ministers recently endorsing the plan to utilize the full value of frozen Russian sovereign assets—potentially $300 billion—to provide critical financial and military aid, a move intended to severely cripple Russia’s financial ability to wage war and force them to the negotiating table on more favourable terms.
The finalization of these guarantees is now viewed as the key bargaining chip needed to push Kyiv toward the next stage of complex and inevitable negotiations.
