Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday Ukraine has started to prepare "a security system on land, in the air, and at sea" aimed at pushing Russia towards peace.
He said he could not yet disclose details, but stated that there were now 35 countries in the so-called Coalition of the Willing that would provide a framework of security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression.
"We are preparing strength – on the ground, in the air, and at sea – that, by simply working as planned, will pressure Russia to stop the war," said Zelenskyy.
The remarks come as French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” for the war-torn country once fighting ends in the conflict with Russia.
Macron spoke after a meeting in Paris of the so-called “coalition of the willing," a group of 35 countries who support Ukraine.
He said that 26 of the countries had committed to deploying troops in Ukraine — or to maintaining a presence on land, at sea, or in the air — to help guarantee the country’s security the day after a ceasefire or peace is achieved.