From the second to the left, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French president Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Poland Donald Tusk Walk at the presidential palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 10, 2025.
Stefan Rousseau / Pool
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Stefan Rousseau / Pool
KYIV – Four European leaders have joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv today by pressure that Russian President Vladimir Putin accepts an unconditional cease -fire of 30 days – or risks more sanctions against Russia.
“The ceasefire must be complete: in the air, at sea and on earth,” Zelenskyy told journalists. “It is quite possible to monitor the ceasefire in coordination with the United States of America, it is really realistic. The cease-fire should last 30 days to give a real chance to diplomacy.”
Zelenskyy said the group “spoke to President Trump together. We agreed with our common vision of our other actions”.
“We all here, with the United States, call Putin,” added British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “If he is serious about peace, he has a chance to show it now.”
This ceasefire could start on Monday, if Russia accepts. It seems unlikely. The Russian news agency Interfax quoted the Kremlin spokesperson on Saturday, Dmitry Peskov, saying: “We hear many contradictory declarations in Europe. They are generally conflicting rather than aiming to revive our relations. Nothing more.” Putin also continues to press kyiv to make large parts of the East and South of Ukraine that the Russian forces have not occupied.
Starmer, as well as the leaders of France, Germany and Poland, went together to kyiv during their first joint appearance to participate in a virtual meeting of the “coalition of willingly”, which mainly includes European countries which would help Ukraine in the event of a lasting ceasefire after more than three years of war on the level of Russia.
Those who join the video link included the Italian Giorgia Meloni, Mark Carney of Canada, the secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
It was the first visit to Ukraine by the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, a solid defender of Ukraine who took office on May 6. Merz said on Saturday that if Russia rejected the cease-fire proposal, Europe would continue to defend Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who called Ukraine as “the beating heart of Europe” – documented the trip of train leaders on Instagram and published a video of the group with Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska visiting a memorial in the war of the Dead in the center of kyiv. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “symbolic” to meet in kyiv, a city that faces almost daily Russian attacks, and showed “the strength of our unity”.
Hanna Palamarenko contributed Kyiv reports
