TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - European leaders, consisting of French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, visited Ukraine on Saturday, May 10, 2025, to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
As reported by The Moscow Times, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived together by train from neighboring Poland. Later, they were joined by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
This is the first time that leaders from four European countries have made a joint visit to Ukraine.
More than three years after the Russian invasion, this highly symbolic show of European unity comes a day after President Vladimir Putin struck a confrontational tone at Moscow's parade, marking 80 years since the victory in World War II.
The European leaders pledged to increase pressure on Russia until the country agrees to a ceasefire deal. During his journey to Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that, after a 30-day ceasefire is in place, there would be "direct talks between Ukraine and Russia."
"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 said in a statement ahead of the visit.
"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, as quoted from Al Jazeera.
"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 recognized borders for generations to come."
The leaders warned that they "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."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media X after the meeting, as reported by Euractiv, that the countries are ready for a "full unconditional ceasefire on land, air and sea for at least 30 days starting on Monday (May 12)."
The leaders also had a "fruitful" phone call with US President Donald Trump, Sybiha said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking via video conference, gave "full support" to the proposal. "If the unconditional ceasefire is not respected by Russia, together with the US and the G7, we will coordinate further biting sanctions," von der Leyen asserted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington and Kyiv in March.
In an interview with ABC news channel on Saturday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the delivery of weapons from Ukraine's allies must stop before Russia agrees to a ceasefire.
A ceasefire would be an "advantage for Ukraine" at a time when Russian forces are moving forward with quite confidence on the front line, Peskov said, adding that Ukraine is "not ready for immediate negotiations."
Both Moscow and Kyiv have signaled that they are open to negotiating with each other. However, Zelensky said this would only be possible after the ceasefire is in place.
Russia currently occupies about a fifth of Ukrainian territory—including the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014—and has intensified deadly attacks in the country this spring.
The US Embassy in Kyiv said on Friday that "significant air attack" could occur at some point in the coming days.
For Merz, who took office just this week, this would be his first visit to Ukraine as chancellor. Macron has not been to Kyiv since June 2022, when he went alongside the leaders of Italy and Germany at the time.
Editor’s Choice: Ukraine Ready for Peace Talks If Russia Agrees to Full Ceasefire, Zelensky Tells Trump
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