With growing fear of war returning to Europe, French and international experts, both civilian and military are gathered in France for a major Paris Defence and Strategy Forum (PDSF) (March 11-13).
The delegates have been sharing their analyses and solutions at round tables, conferences, workshops and strategic game simulations.
The forum hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron is structured around three axes of reflection and a central theme: ‘Europe at the Crissroads’.
Participants have been examining issues relating to nuclear deterrence, the respective roles of NATO and the EU, new geopolitical, capability, industrial and technological issues, as well as ethical questions and human resources.
The forum has been exploring the challenges and prospects of the return of war to Europe, strategic and geopolitical developments, information and influence issues, and major technological and societal transitions.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, March 11, called on European and NATO military chiefs to draw up a plan “to define credible security guarantees” for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, the presidency said.
The Paris meeting gathered representatives from 34 countries, most of them from Europe and NATO, but also from Australia, New Zealand and Japan. There was no representative from the United States, which is the leading member of NATO.
“This is the moment when Europe must throw its full weight behind Ukraine, and itself,” Macron told the meeting, according to the Elysée.
“In view of the acceleration of peace negotiations,” it was necessary to start planning to “define credible security guarantees” to make a lasting peace in Ukraine a reality, the French presidency reported Macron saying.
Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said earlier Tuesday the closed-door meeting’s aim was to lay the foundation for any possible security guarantees for Ukraine.
“It is simply a question of looking ahead and thinking about what the Ukrainian army should be in the future,” Lecornu said ahead of the talks. “We will reject any form of demilitarisation of Ukraine,” he added.
