Kyiv
Cnn
–
The leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland arrived in kyiv for meetings with the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, a symbol of a United European position to publicly put the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Friedrich Merz, the new German Chancellor, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk arrived at Kyiv’s main station on Saturday morning, where they were met by Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
The meetings are a sign of a renewed diplomatic emergency aimed at making a cease-fire in the war between Russia and Ukraine, which accumulates despite American efforts to negotiate peace.
“There is a lot of work to do and many questions to discuss. This war must be finished with just peace. Moscow must be forced to accept a cease-fire,” wrote Yermak on his telegram channel.
The first judgment for European leaders was kyiv’s independence where they stood to honor fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
Ukraine, supported by Europeans, called for an unusual 30-day cease-fire, something that US President Donald Trump is also demanding.
Russia has so far refused to engage, saying that it supports the idea of a 30-day ceasefire in principle, but insists that there is what it calls “nuances” which must first address.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, in an interview with ABC News, suggested on Saturday that one of these “nuances” warned against American and European weapons in Ukraine.
Putin has often talked about the need to respond to what he calls “deep causes” – which mean, among other things, the expansion towards the east of NATO.
In a social article of truth on Thursday, Trump wrote that “if the ceasefire is not respected, the United States and its partners will impose new sanctions”, adding to its sense frustrated by the Russian dropout.
The inauguration of Trump in January inaugurated a complete change in the diplomatic accent of the United States on war, with Ukraine and the main allies fearing a significant inclination in American policy towards Moscow.
European leaders have summoned a series of meetings in response, aimed at both showing in the United States that Europe can do more to support Ukraine militarily, as well as to provide a single voice urging the American president not to take the side of Russia in the war.
“A fair and lasting peace begins with a complete and unconditional ceasefire. This is the proposal that we are advancing with the United States,” wrote French President Macron on his X account on Saturday morning.
“Ukraine accepted (the cease-fire proposal) on March 11. However, Russia delays, establishes prerequisites, plays for time and continues its war of invasion. If Moscow continues to obstruct, we will intensify the call for pressure, as Europeans and in close coordination with the United States. We welcome the call of President Trump in this direction, “added Macron.