LONDON

The EU on Thursday welcomed a ceasefire agreement proposal following a Ukraine-US meeting last week, and urged Russia to act to end the war in Ukraine.

In a statement released following the first day of a European Council summit in Brussels, the EU reaffirmed its "continued and unwavering" support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

It noted that the EU maintains a "peace through strength" approach, which requires Ukraine to be in the strongest possible position.

The statement noted that the bloc also remains committed in coordination with like-minded partners and allies to provide additional comprehensive support to Ukraine, in line with that approach.

It noted that the European Council welcomes a statement by Ukraine and the US following a meeting in Saudi Arabia on March 11, including proposals for a ceasefire agreement, humanitarian efforts and the resumption of US intelligence sharing and security assistance.

"The European Council calls on Russia to show real political will to end the war," it added.

The EU also noted that a credible pathway to peace must include humanitarian relief efforts, notably the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilians and the return of all Ukrainian children and other civilians "unlawfully deported and transferred to Russia and Belarus" -- a claim Russia denies.

"Subject to EU law, Russia’s assets should remain immobilised until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused by this war," it said.

It stressed that a comprehensive peace agreement needs to be accompanied by "robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression."

"The European Union and Member States are ready to contribute to security guarantees, in particular by supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend itself effectively, based on their respective competences and capabilities, in line with international law," it added.