Burak Bir
08 June 2026•Update: 08 June 2026
European security interests "must be safeguarded" in any deal for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the leaders of Britain, France and Germany said Sunday following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz -- the leaders of the E3 group of countries -- met with Zelenskyy in London to reiterate their "unwavering support for Ukraine" and the “next steps in negotiations to support a just and lasting peace.”
In a joint statement with Zelenskyy following the talks, the E3 leaders underlined that Europe had an important role to play in any settlement as a steadfast supporter of Ukraine.
"Leaders were clear that all efforts should be conducted in closest cooperation with Ukraine, wider European partners, and the US," it said.
They condemned Russia’s large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities as well as "irresponsible and dangerous" Russian drone incursions into NATO territory.
The statement noted that the leaders discussed how to use the upcoming G7 summit in France, the next meeting of the Coalition of the Willing and the NATO summit at Ankara "to best coordinate further support for Ukraine based on its prioritized needs.”
"The leaders underlined the urgent need to scale up the production of interceptors and co-develop anti-ballistic missile and deep strike capabilities, and to support the future sustainability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," it added.
'Inextricable link' between Euro-Atlantic security, Ukraine's sovereignty
They also discussed how the alliance can learn from "Ukraine’s battlefield expertise" and how to increase long-term industrial cooperation with Ukraine to strengthen Europe’s own defense.
The statement said the leaders emphasized the "inextricable link" between Ukraine’s security, prosperity and sovereignty and wider Euro-Atlantic security.
During the talks, the leaders also discussed the conditions that would need to be in place for a just and lasting peace as they called as a first step “a stop to the fighting.”
“They called on (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin to agree to an immediate and complete ceasefire.”
The statement underlined that Ukraine must have "robust and legally binding security guarantees" in place once a ceasefire enters into force, building on commitments made in Berlin in December 2025 and Paris in January 2026, which include the deployment of the Multinational Force.
It also said Russian assets will remain immobilized until Russia ceases its war and compensates Ukraine for the damage caused by the war.
"European security interests must be safeguarded in any deal," noted the statement, adding that elements of any negotiations related to the European Union and NATO would need the consent of the EU and its member states and NATO allies, respectively.
