Zelenskyy Meets In London With European Allies On The U.S. Peace Plan And Ukrainian Security

LONDON (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Britain met with French and German leaders in London on Monday in what they called a “critical moment” to end US-led efforts in a show of European support for Ukraine. Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the British leader at 10 Downing St. to try to strengthen Ukraine’s hand in the face of Ukraine’s growing impatience. At his residence, Zelenskyy held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. US President Donald Trump.

Following the meeting, Starmer, Zelenskyy and other leaders called Kiev’s European allies, urging them to keep up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The leaders all agreed that this is a critical moment and we must continue to increase our support for Ukraine and the economic pressure on Putin to put an end to this barbaric war,” Starmer’s office said in a statement.

Starmer’s spokesman Tom Wells said: “This is the furthest we have come in four years and we welcome these discussions to be continuing at all levels.” He added that “hard work” will continue in the coming days, but that there are “still unresolved issues.”

Macron’s office said the session allowed the leaders to “continue joint work on the US plan, in close coordination with Ukraine, with the aim of complementing it with European contributions.”

Answering reporters’ questions in a WhatsApp chat later Monday, Zelenskyy said the current US peace plan differs from previous versions because it dropped from 28 to 20 points after what he called “the removal of some obvious anti-Ukraine points.”

Zelenskyy said the main questions to be resolved regarding security guarantees are: “What if Russia starts another attack after the war is over? What will partners be ready for? What can Ukraine count on?”

Answers to these questions, he said, “must be at the core of security guarantees for Ukraine.”

In a call with reporters Sunday night, Trump appeared uncomfortable with Zelenskyy and claimed that the Ukrainian leader “hasn’t read the offer yet.”

“Trump definitely wants to end the war. … Of course, he has his own vision. We live here, we see the details and nuances from the inside, we perceive everything much more deeply, because this is our homeland,” Zelenskyy said on Monday.

Starmer, Macron and Merz took a more supportive stance towards Kiev in statements before their Monday meeting, which lasted about two hours. The UK leader said the peace effort was at a “critical stage” and stressed the need for a “fair and lasting ceasefire”.

Meanwhile, Merz stated that he was “skeptical” about some of the details in the documents published by the USA and said, “We need to talk about this. That’s why we are here.” “The coming days could be a decisive time for all of us.”

European leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by robust security guarantees from both Europe and the United States to deter Russia from attacking again. Trump has not made clear guarantees publicly.

Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders in London and Brussels this week will focus on security, air defense and long-term financing for Ukraine’s war effort. Ukraine needs support from both Europe and the United States, he said on Monday.

“There are some things we can’t handle without the Americans, there are things we can’t handle without Europe, and that’s why we need to make some important decisions,” he told Downing Street.

Starmer’s office stated that the leaders instructed their national security advisers to continue negotiations in the coming days, underlining “the need for a just and lasting peace with solid security guarantees in Ukraine.”

U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators wrapped up three days of talks on Saturday aimed at narrowing differences over the U.S. administration’s peace proposal.

Zelenskyy said on Telegram that the talks were “important” and that National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of General Staff Andrii Hnatov had returned to Europe to brief him.

A major sticking point in the plan is the proposal that Kiev should cede control of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine to Russia, which illegally occupies most, if not all, of the region. Ukraine and its European allies opposed the idea of ​​territorial transfer.

Starmer said he “will not pressure” Zelenskyy to accept the peace deal.

Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since winning a second term, insisting the war was a waste of US taxpayers’ money. Trump has also repeatedly called on Ukrainians to cede their land to Russia to end the nearly four-year conflict.

European talks come after the release of a new US report national security strategy This alarmed European leaders and was welcomed by Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov He said the document spelling out the administration’s core foreign policy interests was largely in line with Moscow’s vision.

“The nuances we see in the new concept certainly look appealing to us,” he said on Monday. “He talks about the need to establish dialogue and constructive, friendly relations. This cannot but attract us and certainly fits our vision. We understand that eliminating the disturbing elements that currently exist in bilateral relations can open an opportunity for us to truly restore our relations and bring them out of the crisis, which is quite deep.”

document In a statement released by the White House on Friday, it was stated that the United States wants to improve relations with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah, and that ending the war and “reestablishing strategic stability with Russia” is one of the core interests of the United States.

The document also states that NATO should not be an “ever-expanding alliance,” echoing another Russian complaint. It was a scathing statement about the immigration and free speech policies of the United States’ long-time allies in Europe, arguing that they faced “the prospect of the destruction of civilization” due to immigration.

Starmer’s government refused to comment on the document, saying it was a matter for the US government.

Russia continued to attack Ukraine amid diplomatic efforts. Drones crashed into high-rise apartment buildings in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Okhtyrka overnight, injuring seven people and causing major damage to the building, the head of the regional administration, Oleh Hryhorov, said.

A Russian drone exploded in front of a residential building in the northern city of Chernihiv, injuring three people and damaging a kindergarten, gas lines and cars, regional head Viacheslav Chaus said.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 149 UAVs throughout the night, 131 of which were neutralized and 16 hit targets.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that Russian air defense destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight. It was stated that UAVs were shot down in 11 regions of Russia.

Novikov reported from Kiev, Ukraine.