The leaders of France, Britain, Germany, and Poland will visit Ukraine on Saturday for a historic meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is the first time leaders from all four European nations are visiting Ukraine together, showing a united front against Russia’s continued invasion.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are expected to hold important talks with Zelensky, focused on pushing Russia to agree to a ceasefire. The joint visit is a powerful signal of European support for Ukraine more than three years into the conflict. It comes just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin held a military parade in Moscow to mark 80 years since victory in World War II, where he made aggressive remarks and showed no sign of backing down.
The visit follows a proposal by US President Donald Trump calling for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Trump hopes this would open the door to talks for a peaceful solution.
Source/KBC.
The four European leaders echoed Trump’s call, urging Russia to stop the war and agree to a full ceasefire. They said they were ready to support peace talks immediately and would work on the technical side of the truce and a future peace agreement. The leaders made it clear that the war must end, Russia must pull out of Ukraine, and Ukraine must remain a safe and independent country within its official borders.
However, the Kremlin has dismissed the proposal so far. In an interview, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia will not agree to a ceasefire while weapons are still being supplied to Ukraine by its allies. He said stopping the weapons deliveries must come first, otherwise a ceasefire would help Ukraine too much, especially now that Russian troops are advancing on the battlefield. He also claimed that Ukraine was not ready for real talks.
Bucha, Ukraine. APR 04, 2022 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visit Bucha town after liberation it from Russian occupiers during Russian Ukrainian war. Photo/file
This visit is especially important for Friedrich Merz, as it will be his first time in Ukraine since becoming Chancellor earlier this week. Macron, on the other hand, has not been to Kyiv since June 2022. In their joint statement, the four leaders promised continued support for Ukraine and said they stood firmly against what they called Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin takes part in an event marking Gazprom’s 30th anniversary, via video link at a residence outside Moscow, Russia February 17, 2023. Sputnik. Photo courtesy | REUTERS .
They also said they agreed with Trump’s peace efforts and asked Russia to stop blocking progress toward peace.
After meeting Zelensky, the European leaders plan to hold a virtual meeting to brief other European countries. They will talk about creating a European security force to help Ukraine stay safe after the war and to rebuild its military. This force would give Ukraine more security and help ensure any peace agreement lasts.
There were more discussions on Friday, with Macron meeting Tusk in France. Macron said that if either side breaks the ceasefire, there should be strong economic sanctions in place. Finland’s President Alexander Stubb also said there are US sanctions packages ready, especially targeting banking and energy. Macron warned that Putin’s tough language during the parade showed he is still choosing war, but he added that discussions about land could happen once the fighting stops.
Russia still controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s land and has not agreed to any kind of truce. While Trump has said Ukraine might need to give up some territory, he has also shown frustration with Russia’s refusal to stop the war. The visit comes right after Putin hosted China’s Xi Jinping and Slovakia’s Prime Minister at the Moscow parade. A French official said the quick visit, just four days after Merz became chancellor, shows how united and ready Europe is to respond. He added that this visit is a direct answer to Putin’s celebrations and shows that Europe is standing firm with Ukraine.
