LONDON
France’s president on Saturday reiterated Paris' support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, saying Ukraine’s future "cannot be decided without the Ukrainians."
Emmanuel Macron said he reiterated France's support for Ukraine during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
He said they remain determined to support Ukraine, working in a spirit of unity and building on the work undertaken within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing.
"Ukraine’s future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians, who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now," Macron said on X, referring to the current war, which began in February 2022.
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said Friday that "there will be some swapping of territories" in order to achieve a peace deal.
He added: "Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake."
In a statement, the UK government said that during phone call with Zelenskyy, Starmer looked ahead to a meeting of national security advisers from Europe, Ukraine, and the US taking place Saturday, hosted by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Vice President JD Vance.
They agreed this would be a vital forum to discuss progress towards securing a just and lasting peace, according to the statement.
Both leaders welcomed Trump’s desire to bring the war to an end and agreed that "we must keep up the pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin" to end the war.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is another European leader who spoke on the phone with the Ukrainian president on Saturday to discuss the latest developments on the ground.
"We must reach a just and lasting peace that respects Ukraine's independence and sovereignty," he said on X.
Sanchez added: "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We must remain united."