The Ukrainian army remains the main guarantee of the country's security, and France "will refuse any demilitarization of the Ukrainian army," said French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

During the opening of the Paris Defence and Strategy Forum, he emphasized that Russia has been violating the ceasefire for many years, and therefore it is now necessary to "think about what the Ukrainian army should be like in the future."

"And, accordingly, start from the principle that the first guarantee of security remains the Ukrainian army. Think about what the Ukrainian army should be like in the future, and proceed from the fact that the first guarantee of security remains the Ukrainian army, we will refuse any form of demilitarization of Ukraine," he noted.

More than 30 military chiefs are gathering in Paris on Tuesday to discuss what Europe and the West can offer to support Ukraine as part of a peace deal with Russia. According to Lecornu, the meeting is important because it "lays the first stone in the foundation of these security guarantees."

In addition, the parties will discuss how NATO’s eastern flank will be protected "next year, in five years, in ten years, in fifteen years."

"We have NATO defence plans, each country must contribute to them. And if tomorrow the contributions of certain countries, in particular one of them, decrease, how can we, European countries, properly implement NATO defence plans?" the defence minister said.