The leaders of France, Britain and Germany arrived in Ukraine on Saturday (May 10, 2025) for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, vowing to ratchet up strain on Russia till it agrees a ceasefire the day after a lavish army parade in Moscow.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived collectively by practice from neighbouring Poland. Later, they have been to be joined by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
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It is the primary time the leaders of the 4 European nations have made a joint go to to Ukraine.
More than three years into Russia’s invasion, the massively symbolic show of European unity comes a day after President Vladimir Putin struck a defiant tone at a Moscow parade marking 80 years since victory in World War II.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed a 30-day unconditional ceasefire as a step to finish the battle. But Mr. Putin has resisted to this point.
“Alongside the U.S., we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace,” the leaders mentioned in an announcement forward of the go to.
“We are ready to support peace talks as soon as possible, to discuss technical implementation of the ceasefire, and prepare for a full peace deal,” they added.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come”.
They warned: “We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine. Until Russia agrees to an enduring ceasefire, we will ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine.”
In an interview with the ABC information channel on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned arms deliveries from Ukraine’s allies should cease earlier than Russia would conform to a ceasefire.
A truce would in any other case be an “advantage for Ukraine” at a time when “Russian troops are advancing… in quite a confident way” on the entrance, Mr. Peskov mentioned, including that Ukraine was “not ready for immediate negotiations”.
‘Russia obstructing efforts’
For Merz, who took workplace solely this week, it will likely be his first go to to Ukraine as chancellor. Mr. Macron has not been to Kyiv since June 2022 when he went with the Italian and German leaders of the time.
In the talks with Mr. Zelenskyy they’ll make their “steadfast commitment to Ukraine”, the assertion mentioned.
“We, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom will stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric and illegal full-scale invasion,” they mentioned.
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they added.
After assembly Mr. Zelenskyy in the morning, they’re to host a digital assembly to replace different European leaders on strikes to create a European pressure that would present Ukraine with safety after the warfare.
Such a pressure “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, the assertion mentioned.
‘Number of symbols’
After assembly Tusk in France on Friday, Macron referred to as for the speedy drawing up of a US-Europe plan for the 30-day truce that may be backed by “massive economic sanctions” if one facet “betrays it”.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb mentioned at a gathering in Norway on Friday to debate Ukraine that the “United States has two sanctions packages on the table” and that nations have been discussing motion in the “banking and the energy sector.”
Mr. Macron mentioned Mr. Putin’s “belligerent comments” on the Red Square parade confirmed he remained “on the side of war”. But he additionally mentioned talks about territory may very well be held as soon as a ceasefire begins.
Russia has occupied a couple of fifth of Ukrainian territory and has but to reply to the strain for an everlasting ceasefire. Trump has additionally mentioned Ukraine should think about giving up territory however has expressed rising impatience with Russia’s refusal to halt the combating.
The timing of the go to is putting, coming a day after Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping but in addition Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose nation is an EU member, on the Moscow parade.
A French presidential official, who requested to not be named, mentioned the go to simply 4 days after Merz took workplace “demonstrates Europe’s unity, strength, and responsiveness. And it mirrors Putin’s celebrations.”
Published – May 10, 2025 12:12 pm IST
