The leaders of Britain, Germany and France said on Sunday they supported a proposal for talks between Ukraine ‘s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia ‘s President Vladimir Putin to try to secure a ceasefire, with Europe playing an active role.
In a joint statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron commended Zelenskyy’s call for an end to the war and the proposal for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, with active participation from the U.S. and Europe.
The three leaders, who head an informal security alliance called the E3 and are among Ukraine’s main sources of international support, were joined by Zelenskyy at Downing Street on Sunday.
Zelenskyy said he also told Starmer that Ukraine needed more missiles for air defence systems, just days after publishing an open letter to Putin proposing face-to-face talks to end the war, now in its fifth year.
Putin rebuffed the proposal, saying the offer did not come across as sincere and that he currently saw no point in meeting, adding that a long-term agreement was needed.
Europe’s Role In The Peace Push
In his letter, Zelenskyy said Russians had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace.
He also noted that with the U.S. focused on the conflict in Iran, “it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the centre of its attention.” Zelenskyy said on X that the leaders discussed possible ways to reinvigorate diplomacy and Europe’s role in the process.
“For Ukraine, it has always been a priority that Europe’s position and voice in the negotiations be strong,” he said.
Conditions for A Just And Lasting Peace
In London, Zelenskyy was meeting the three leaders after Ukraine had been hit by some of the biggest Russian air raids since the start of the 2022 war, including strikes on Kyiv.
“Russia is not winning on the battlefield, and our mid-range and deep strikes are significantly limiting its ability to expand its aggression. But it is also extremely important to have protection against ballistic threats, with which the Russians are terrorising our cities,” Zelenskyy said.
The European leaders and Zelenskyy set out conditions for a “just and lasting peace,” starting with an immediate and complete ceasefire. They said the current line of contact should be the starting point for talks, that Ukraine should have legally binding security guarantees including the deployment of a multinational force, and that Russian assets would remain immobilised until Russia had compensated Ukraine for war damages. Any European security interests, they added, must also be safeguarded.
Putin’s Hardline Stance
Starmer said after the meeting that Britain would stand with Ukraine as long as needed.
“Our support for Ukraine is ironclad. Ukraine’s security is Europe’s security,” he wrote.
Putin, meanwhile, stuck to his hardline stance in a meeting with international media on Thursday, though he said Trump’s proposals for peace could end the fighting if Kyiv were ready to compromise.
(with input from Reuters)
