Name: Zelensky meeting world allies in France | BBC News
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But first, Ukraine's President Zelensky is in France for a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing.

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He was welcomed by President Macron at the Elysee Palace on Wednesday evening.

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Later today, he is due to speak in person and online to other world leaders, including Zakir Starmer.

Let's speak to a correspondent in Paris, Hugh Schofield.

Hugh, what are we expecting to happen today?

Well, leaders of some of the countries involved in this Coalition of the Willing are arriving behind me now at the Elysee Palace.

He's, like most of them, joining by video link.

And then there'll be a meeting of these 30 or so heads of government, in which they will try to project this idea again of European unity and of there being now not just the Coalition of the Willing, but the Coalition of the Ready.

That was the catchphrase which was being bandied around yesterday.

They've decided what each country can do, what commitments they're prepared to make.

And now we are the Coalition of the Ready.

The idea to project an image of unity and readiness, not just towards Moscow, of course, to show that Europeans are very much behind Ukraine, but also towards America, towards Donald Trump, because the political impetus behind all of this is to convince President Trump that Europe will play its part.

They know that President Trump might not be regarded as the most reliable partner in all of this.

They want to make sure that he comes on board the trajectory they want him to be on board with, which is one of putting more pressure on President Putin to come to a ceasefire.

The way to do that is to convince President Trump that here in Europe they're serious.

So that's the message which will come out of this meeting today.

Please, President Trump, now start putting pressure on the Russians.

And it comes after we've seen these images of President Putin with President Xi and others.

And it doesn't look as though negotiations between the US and Moscow are moving in a direction that Ukraine will want.

Yeah, I mean, there was that display of force by the Chinese with the Russians.

Of course, this acts as a kind of counterbalance.

That's certainly the way Macron would like to see it, that, you know, yes, that's one coalition on the world stage today.

Here is another coalition, the coalition of peace, the coalition of the willing, whatever you want to call it.

But of course, everything that happens here is kind of second tier.

Everyone knows that the real action, the real diplomatic muscle is what will come out of Washington.

We are here in Europe, important players, but secondary to the action that's coming out of Washington.

And that is why it's important for the Europeans to be putting this pressure on President Trump, to be saying to him, and there will be a conversation with President Trump later in the day, we are ready.

We've done what we said we're going to do.

Now you do what you said you were going to do, put more pressure on the Russians.

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Zelensky meeting world allies in France | BBC News

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