Paris meeting: Romania will not send any Romanian soldiers to Ukraine, says Bolojan

A crucial meeting of military chiefs from countries willing to help Ukraine is taking place in Paris on Thursday. Thirty-one states, along with representatives from NATO and the EU, participated.

European leaders were convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, right after last week’s European Council summit, to come up with a concrete plan of action to defend Kiev’s interests. The meeting will also discuss sending a peacekeeping force to Ukraine, once a peace agreement is reached.

“Pressure must be maintained” on Russia through sanctions imposed since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, European Council President Antonio Costa said Thursday at the opening of the Paris meeting.

“The best way to support Ukraine is to remain committed to our goal of achieving a just and lasting peace. This means maintaining pressure on Russia through sanctions,” the head of the body representing the leaders of the 27 European Union countries wrote on the X platform.

Romania’s interim president  Ilie Bolojan, was among those present at the meeting today.

“The first point addressed was the ceasefire agreement in the Black Sea. The attending countries welcomed the agreement, but it was noted that Ukraine agreed to extend this agreement to land and air space, yet such an agreement was not reached. Russia did not accept these terms, effectively discrediting the theory that some seek peace while others seek war.

The countries agreed to maintain support for Ukraine and strengthen the eastern flank”, the inteirm president stated.

He explained that Romania will join a working group for the Black Sea agreement monitoring.

“A working group will be formed to cooperate in monitoring the implementation of this agreement. Since the agreement pertains to the Black Sea, Romania will participate in this working group. With its infrastructure—radars, drones, air policing—Romania will collaborate to ensure that this agreement is respected.

A key point was ensuring continued support for Ukraine. Romania has a strategic interest in supporting Ukraine, as the Ukrainians are effectively keeping the threat at bay. Any situation where Ukraine falters would mean an advance toward the West, something that Europe and Romania do not want,” Bolojan said.

“Another point discussed was coordination with the United States in securing peace in Ukraine.

This coordination is crucial, as it involves what happens before a peace agreement is reached, the maintenance of sanctions, and post-agreement measures to ensure there are strong enough guarantees. This agreement is not just a temporary phase between two wars, but a robust peace.

Another topic discussed was peacekeeping forces. Romania will not send any Romanian soldiers to Ukraine. Hypothetically, if a peace agreement is reached, the possibility of a plan ensuring a guarantee was discussed. These forces could be deployed on the eastern flank. Romania will participate as a transit and hub country in these discussions so that the General Staff is aware of these plans,” said Ilie Bolojan after the meeting ended.

This new summit follows a first meeting that took place in London on March 2, 2025, as well as in the context of US-led talks with Russia and Ukraine on March 23-24 in Saudi Arabia, with a view to securing a limited ceasefire. Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are trying to establish this coalition of countries supporting Ukraine, after US President Donald Trump started direct talks with Russia last month, with the aim of ending the war that has already lasted for more than three years.

“The subsequent objective is to specify the different levels of support for Ukraine after peace, that for the Ukrainian army and possibly that for deployment,” Emmanuel Macron said, according to AFP.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix told reporters on Tuesday that speculation about a possible future UN monitoring mission in Ukraine was “highly hypothetical” and that any planning would require a mandate, although “the question is being asked more and more frequently.”

Diplomats said Europe could find its role in bolstering troops in neighboring countries such as Romania, possibly bolstering existing NATO forces with a strengthened forward presence in Eastern Europe.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggested that while NATO membership is not an option for Kiev, the terms of NATO’s mutual defense treaty could be extended to guarantee that countries will come to Ukraine’s aid in the event of an attack.

US envoy Witkoff said the issue was open to discussion. A third European diplomat said such a move would provide “the highest security guarantee you can offer at a lower cost” than actually deploying troops to Ukraine.

Bolojan received by Macron

Romania’s Interim President Ilie Bolojan was received also by his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, at the Ukraine summit in Paris.

“Today, in Paris, at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, to continue our coordination and close efforts to achieve a solid and lasting peace, which will ensure the security of Ukraine and Europe,” Bolojan wrote on X.