The leaders of Great Britain, France, Germany and Poland are planning to make their very first joint visit to KYIV on Saturday, in an attempt to underline their support for Ukraine and to strengthen the calls for Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire.
During a journey intended to present the European unity, the French president, the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the British and Polish Prime Minister, Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk, will be discussions with the Ukrainian president, Volodmyr Zelensky.
The visit to Ukraine will be the first for Mr. Merz as German Chancellor, and is the first time that leaders of four European countries have traveled to Ukrainian soil.
It also comes one day after President Vladimir V. Putin van Russia Welcomed the presidents of China and Brazil, including international officials, in Moscow To mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany with A military paradeIntended to place Russia on the forefront of a rising, non-Western world order.
Prior to the visit, the four European countries expressed support for President Trump’s call, for the first time in March, for a 30-day ceasefire in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine agreed to Mr Trump’s proposal, but instead, Russia pushed for negotiating the conditions of a settlement before some persistent break in hostility.
“We repeat our support for President Trump’s calls for a peace agreement and call on Russia to stop hindering the efforts to secure a permanent peace,” said the four countries in a joint statement issued at the end of Friday. “In addition to the US, we call on Russia to coordinate a complete and unconditional ceasefire to create the space for conversations about a just and lasting peace.”
The newest European initiative is coming After Mr. Trump said On Thursday, the United States would impose sanctions on Russia if it did not accept a long-term ceasefire.
The purpose of the journey, the four leaders said, was to demonstrate “solidarity with Ukraine against the barbaric and illegal full invasion of Russia.” They added: “Ukraine should be able to bloom as a safe, safe and sovereign nation within its internationally recognized limits for the coming generations.”
The leaders are also planning to keep a virtual meeting with other Western government heads to update them on plans, promoted by Mr. Macron and Mr. Starmer, to try to create a “coalition of the willingness” to help protect Ukraine in the case of a peace agreement with Russia.
Despite their show of unity, those conversations about building the coalition of the Willing Momentum have lost, without signs of a threatening peace agreement and uncertainty about what role European countries could play in it if there was one.
Discussions include the possibility of a limited deployment of Western armed forces in Ukraine, but many countries do not want to make clear obligations without knowing the conditions of a peace agreement. Mr. Starmer said that he would be willing to send British troops to Ukraine, but only if the United States offer a security backstop – something that Mr Trump has shown few signs of promising.
In their statement, the four European countries described the conversations as now aimed at “a future coalition of an air, land, maritime and regenerative power that would help regenerate the forces of Ukraine after some peace agreement and to strengthen confidence in every future peace.”
The Europeans said they were ready “to support peace talks as quickly as possible, to discuss the technical implementation of the ceasefire cease and to prepare for a complete peace agreement.”
In an online speech to a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force Member States in Oslo on Friday, Mr. Zensky said: “We need this coalition – and we have to be strong enough to guarantee security as we all agree.”
“Moscow should accept the ceasefire,” he said, “because that is the only way real peace can begin.”
- Advertisement -
