European leaders said today that only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia can end the war in Ukraine, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BNR.
“We welcome President Trump's work to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine“, said the statement signed by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
They committed to continuing both diplomatic efforts and substantial military and financial support for Ukraine alongside sanctions against Russia.
European countries, together with Ukraine, have prepared and presented an alternative plan for a peace settlement in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for a ceasefire, announced Ukrinform, citing an article in the "Wall Street Journal".
According to the plan, discussed at a meeting with senior US officials in Britain, a ceasefire must be concluded before further steps can be taken to reach an agreement.
The initiative rejects Russia's offer to transfer territories controlled by Ukraine in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. Territorial concessions are acceptable only on a reciprocal basis.
A key condition of the document is that any concessions by Kiev must be accompanied by strong security guarantees, including Ukraine's possible accession to NATO.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Saturday to find a solution for a “fair and lasting” peace in Ukraine as US President Donald Trump prepares for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to end the war, Reuters reported, citing Downing Street.
A Downing Street spokesman said that Starmer and Macron discussed the latest developments in Ukraine, reiterating their unconditional support for Volodymyr Zelensky and securing a just and lasting peace for the Ukrainian people.
The spokesman added that the two welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killings in Ukraine and end Russian military aggression and discussed how to continue to work closely with the US president and Volodymyr Zelensky in the coming days. Starmer and Macron agreed to remain in close contact on the issue.
At the same time, the “Financial Times” The paper elaborates on Zelensky's remarks, which rejected Donald Trump's suggestion that a peace deal with Russia could include "some sort of territory swap", insisting that Ukrainians "will not give their land to the occupier".
The newspaper quoted senior Ukrainian officials as saying that the Russian proposal included a freeze on the front line in southeastern Ukraine if Kiev agreed to withdraw from parts of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions that it still controls.
Moscow has already laid claim to the entire Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, although the two regional capitals remain under Ukrainian control. Territories controlled by Russian forces in Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, as well as small areas in Sumy and Kharkiv regions, could be subject to discussion, the officials said.
Zelensky said earlier that "Ukraine is ready for real solutions that can bring peace. All solutions that are against us, all solutions that are without Ukraine, are simultaneously solutions against peace."
Baltic leaders have criticized any attempt to force Ukraine to cede territory amid fears that the region could become a target for Putin, the Financial Times added.