US and Ukrainian officials will continue talks over security guarantees for Ukraine, both sides said, after meetings with Western allies yielded breakthroughs including a US-led monitoring mechanism and a European multinational force to be deployed after any ceasefire with Russia.

Following the largest meeting yet of the 'Coalition of the Willing' in Paris, both European leaders and US envoys hailed progress that hid tensions in recent days over US foreign policy under President Donald Trump.

But the security guarantees for Ukraine would only come into force once a ceasefire is agreed to end the almost four-year war sparked by Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence and Meath-East TD, Thomas Byrne, who spoke to us some more about this.

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