UK and France Leaders Commit to Strengthening Ukraine’s Energy Security and Peace Efforts

Co-Chairs of the Coalition of the Willing have agreed to ensure Ukraine’s energy resilience and to provide urgent assistance to protect and restore the energy infrastructure. This position was announced by the Office of the President of Ukraine following the meeting.

Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, who act as co-chairs of the coalition, expressed united support for Ukraine in the context of the difficult winter period and the pursuit of lasting peace and an end to violence.

Leaders’ Position and Current Developments

In the statement, it was also noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky supported the idea of a full and unconditional ceasefire, while the Russian leader Vladimir Putin rejected it. Russia continues to attack civilian targets and violates NATO airspace.

The co-chairs confirmed their readiness to intensify economic pressure on Russia and to consider further steps to displace Russian oil and gas from the world market, halt the import of energy resources, and prevent energy resource trade by third countries that support the aggression. The United States’ support in these efforts was also noted.

Additionally, the leaders agreed to strengthen coordination of efforts, implement sanctions, enhance information sharing, and be prepared for regulatory and preventive steps regarding the threat of the ‘shadow fleet’ to the maritime environment and national security. They also discussed the possibility, after hostilities cease, of deploying multinational forces to protect the air and sea spaces and to bolster Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.

As reported, on October 24 Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron held a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing. Some participants gathered in London, others joined online. President Zelensky emphasized that peace talks should begin from the current front line.

The coalition’s efforts aim to strengthen Ukraine’s energy security and support peaceful initiatives at the international level to reduce the crisis’s impact on the population and the country’s economy in the coming months.