Meeting by videoconference in Paris on Thursday, European leaders and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky hoped for Donald Trump's approval after their promise to offer Kyiv 'security guarantees' should hostilities cease. While no longer openly opposed to this, the US president hesitated.

Les dirigeants d’une trentaine de pays engagés à soutenir Kiev contre l’agression russe se réunissent jeudi en visioconférence en présence du président ukrainien.

But there appears to be no agreement on a course of action, with the nature of the guarantees sketchy.