BRUSSELS, March 21 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that Paris will host a summit of the "coalition of the willing" supporting Ukraine on March 27 to discuss further military aid for Kyiv.
Speaking to reporters following a European Union (EU) summit in Brussels, Macron said the meeting will focus on short-term military support for Ukrainian forces and explore how European countries can provide long-term security guarantees to help Ukraine sustain its defense.
"The entire process will be finalized in the next few days," Macron said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders from multiple European countries are expected to attend the Paris summit.
The EU summit, originally scheduled for two days, was cut short and concluded Thursday after just one day at the bloc's headquarters in Brussels. Leaders discussed key issues including European competitiveness, the situation in Ukraine, defense cooperation and developments in the Middle East.
Zelensky addressed EU leaders via video on Thursday, urging European Union leaders to promptly approve a package of at least 5 billion euros (5.45 billion U.S. dollars) for artillery shells and continued pressure on Russia. ■
