In a show of unity in Kyiv on Saturday, leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, NBC reports.
The leaders, from France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland, said the proposal to start the ceasefire on Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day. Their statement came amid mounting efforts to persuade Moscow to agree to a truce that would allow for peace talks on ending over three years of full-scale war.
The demand was announced in a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and countries leading the so-called “coalition of the willing”: a group of over 30 countries who have pledged to strengthen Ukraine to deter Russian aggression. They included French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who on Saturday traveled to Ukraine together for the first time.
The ceasefire would include a halt to fighting on land, sea and in the air. The leaders threatened to ratchet up sanctions, including on Russia’s energy and banking sectors, if Putin did not comply.
Earlier that day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” with Russia for “at least 30 days” starting Monday. He added the four visiting leaders and Zelenskyy had had a “constructive” phone call with Trump.
Saturday marked the last day of a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia that Ukraine says the Kremlin’s forces have repeatedly violated.
In March, the United States proposed an immediate, limited 30-day truce, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking.
Building up Ukraine’s military capabilities will be a key deterrent against Russia, the European leaders said Saturday. This will require supplying Ukraine with robust quantities of arms to deter future attacks and investing in its defense sector. A force comprised of foreign troops could also be deployed as an added “reassurance” measure, Macron said.
The French president added that the United States will take the lead in monitoring a proposed cease-fire, with support from European countries, and threatened “massive sanctions … prepared and coordinated between Europeans and Americans,” should Russia violate the truce.
But he said details about potential European deployments to Ukraine were still being fine-tuned. No mention was made of NATO membership, still Kyiv’s top choice for a security guarantee.
