European leaders say Ukraine must be supported in talks with Russia

BERLIN

European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a joint statement Tuesday backing US President Donald Trump's call for an immediate halt to fighting in Ukraine, while insisting that Kyiv must enter any peace negotiations from a position of maximum strength.

The statement, signed by the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and top European Union officials, represents a coordinated European response to Trump's new push for a peace deal to end the three-year war.

"We are all united in our desire for a just and lasting peace, deserved by the people of Ukraine," the leaders said in the statement. "We strongly support President Trump's position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations."

However, the leaders emphasized a critical condition: "We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force."

The statement—signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other leaders—accused Russia of deliberate obstruction.

"Russia's stalling tactics have shown time and time again that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace," the statement said. "We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction."

The leaders outlined a two-track strategy: ramping up economic pressure on Russia while simultaneously ensuring Ukraine has the military resources to defend itself and negotiate effectively.

"Therefore, we are clear that Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position — before, during, and after any ceasefire," they said. "We must ramp up the pressure on Russia's economy and its defense industry, until Putin is ready to make peace."

In a significant diplomatic move, the leaders said they are now developing measures to use the full value of Russia's frozen sovereign assets to support Ukraine. Western nations have frozen hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian central bank reserves since the war began.

European leaders plan to continue discussions on Ukraine later this week at two key meetings, the EU Council in Brussels on Thursday and the Coalition of the Willing gathering in London on Friday. The focus will be on coordinating increased political, economic, and military support for Ukraine.