Ukraine hosts 'coalition of the willing' leaders

French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have arrived in Ukraine as part of the so-called "coalition of the willing" initiative. 

According to Sky News, it is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled to Ukraine at the same time - arriving in Kyiv by train.

Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Starmer, Macron, Merz and Tusk released a joint statement voicing support for Ukraine and calling on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire.

"We need this coalition, and it should be strong enough to guarantee security in line with our common vision," Zelenskiy said in a video address published by his office in Kyiv ahead of the meeting.

Ukraine is seeking clear security guarantees from allies to safeguard it against any future Russian military action. The coalition has been mulling the possibility of a limited foreign contingent deployment to Ukraine as part of possible guarantees, according to Reuters.