European leaders have reaffirmed their long-term support for Ukraine during a summit in Paris, but appeared to make little progress on what role they might play in providing security guarantees if a peace deal is struck with Russia.
It was the third summit of what France and Britain have called the "coalition of the willing", reflecting concern among Europeans that the United States no longer represents a firm bulwark of support for Ukraine in its three-year-old fight against Russia.
US President Donald Trump, in office since 20 January, has said he wants to broker a swift end to the war.
However, a series of bilateral talks between the US and the warring sides has yet to yield a significant diminution of hostilities.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said leaders had agreed on the need for more support for Ukraine to ensure it was in the strongest possible position for any peace process, without elaborating further.
He also said he would like to see a peace deal developing "in days and weeks, not months".
European efforts to create security arrangements for Ukraine have been shifting away from sending troops to other alternatives as they face political and logistical constraints, and the prospect of Russia and the US opposing their plans.
Even so, co-host French President Emmanuel Macron said a number of countries had agreed to pursue a Franco-British idea for what he called a "reassurance force" that would be deployed in the event of a peace deal to deter future Russian aggression.
"It was not unanimous today, as we all know, and we don't need unanimity," Mr Macron told a press conference.
Military delegations will travel to Ukraine in the coming days to start work on how the contours of a strong Ukrainian army in the long-term would look, he added.
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Europe is under pressure from Mr Trump to take on a much greater share of the security burden in its own backyard, but the continent's anaemic economic growth and high levels of debt have complicated the task.
While the US was not present, French officials say the outcome of the gathering will be shared with the Trump administration.
The proposed "reassurance force" positioned in Ukraine would aim to offer security guarantees and deter future aggression from Russia, although there are few signs at this stage that the United States would offer its backing.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was among the leaders who joined the summit in Paris.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Martin said: "There was very clear unanimity that sanctions should not be lifted and cannot be lifted until there's a just peace and a comprehensive peace [in Ukraine]."
The Taoiseach said there was strong support at the meeting for Ukraine and a conviction that the country had to be strengthened militarily in the event of any ceasefire.
Mr Martin said there were two parallel peacekeeping discussions, one on a deterrence force and the other on a ceasefire monitoring force.
"Ireland certainly has indicated our willingness to participate in that," he told reporters in Paris.
"On the other side [of the debate] there have been discussions around a deterrence force, or perhaps a force that would be there in solidarity with Ukraine."
The Taoiseach said Ireland had made an initial contribution of €100m in immediate support for Ukraine, part of Ireland's initial funding through the European Peace Facility that had, Mr Martin said, been paralysed by Hungary.
"On the financial side, we're committed to training [Ukrainian troops] ... and on demining and other areas."
No support for sanctions relief
There was broad agreement at the summit that it would be a strategic error to prematurely ease sanctions on Russia - a condition the Russians have made for a Black Sea ceasefire deal to take effect.
"There was absolute clarity that Russia is trying to delay, is playing games, and we have to be absolutely clear about that," Mr Starmer said after the meeting, standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
There was "complete clarity that now is not the time for lifting of sanctions, quite the contrary," Mr Starmer added.
Mr Zelensky, who agreed earlier this month to proceed with ceasefire talks to ensure a resumption of US aid and intelligence sharing that were briefly suspended by Mr Trump, said heavier sanctions on Russia were required.
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Following a meeting last night with Mr Zelensky, Mr Macron called on Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire, saying Russia would have no right to dictate how Europe supported Ukraine or to set conditions.
France pledged €2bn in new military aid to Ukraine ahead of the gathering of some 30 leaders.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused France and Britain of hatching plans for "military intervention in Ukraine" under the guise of a peacekeeping mission, adding that such an intervention could lead to a direct military clash between Russia and NATO.
Highlighting different views among Ukraine's partners, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reiterated his country's opposition to any such force.
"[We are] not sending troops on a mission unless they are part of the United Nations, [this] is the only condition for us to deploy military personnel" in Ukraine, Mr Tajani said.
Poland has previously said it would not put boots on the ground in Ukraine, while Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said it was "premature" to discuss sending European troops to Ukraine before the conditions of any ceasefire are known.
