The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have expressed, in a meeting with the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Zelensky, their support for Kyiv's proposal to open direct talks with Russia, in which the United States and European partners would also be involved.
"They backed the proposal to establish direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, with the active participation of the United States and Europe, to achieve a ceasefire and support the continuation of negotiations," indicated the joint statement after the meeting of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron, with Zelensky in the British capital.
In the text, the three leaders emphasize that Europe "has an important role to play in any agreement, as a firm supporter of Ukraine," which is why they consider it essential that all steps be taken "in the closest cooperation with Ukraine, European partners in a broad sense, and the United States."
In this way, they reiterate their support for a "negotiated solution through diplomatic channels" proposed by Zelensky in his letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he urges him to hold a face-to-face meeting to unblock the stalemate in peace talks.
Regarding dialogue with the Kremlin, the European leaders maintain that the initial requirement must be "the cessation of hostilities," emphasizing that Putin must "accept an immediate and complete ceasefire."
At the same time, they affirm that "the current line of contact must serve as a starting point for negotiations." "International borders must not be changed by force, and Ukraine's sovereign right to choose its own security arrangements and alliances must be fully respected," they stress in the declaration.
The joint document also emphasizes that, once the ceasefire is implemented, Kyiv must have "robust and legally binding security guarantees" to support its long-term defense.
Military support for Ukraine and increased production of anti-missiles
With an eye on the upcoming G7 summits in Evian, France, and NATO in Ankara, the heads of government of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany insist on the urgency of increasing the production of anti-aircraft missiles and "better coordinating the continuation of support for Ukraine based on its priority needs," emphasizing the importance of maintaining "sustained pressure on Russia's war economy and a greater commitment to military and defense support for Ukraine."
"The leaders stressed the urgent need to expand the production of interceptors and jointly develop capabilities for ballistic missile defense and deep strike, as well as to ensure the future viability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," the joint text indicated.
After condemning the "massive drone and missile attacks" launched by Russia in recent weeks, which have increased civilian casualties, the European leaders stressed that these international meetings, in which the President of the United States, Donald Trump, will participate, must serve to bring positions closer on the war in Ukraine.
Kyiv highlights a unified stance for future negotiations
The Ukrainian Presidency has highlighted that there is a shared vision with the leaders of the main European powers on the need for diplomatic initiatives to be "revived" after the pause in talks.
"Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that Europe must be present at the negotiating table. The parties discussed how Europe could be represented and the role that the United Kingdom, France, and Germany could play," Kyiv indicated.
The Ukrainian president also emphasized that the "main priority" on the front is the supply of anti-ballistic missiles, calling for new military support packages through the NATO initiative, PURL, "as well as seeking other avenues, together with partners, to strengthen the protection of Ukraine's airspace."