The presidents of France and Finland, the prime ministers of Poland, the United Kingdom, and Italy, as well as the chancellor of Germany and the president of the European Commission, have issued a joint statement ahead of the planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, APA reports citing the Ukrainian media.
The statement notes that they welcome Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine and to achieve a “just and lasting peace.” In the statement, published on the official website of the President of Ukraine, it is expressed that the European Union believes success in this direction can only be achieved by combining active diplomacy, support for Ukraine, and pressure on Russia.
“We are ready to support this both through diplomatic means and by maintaining our significant military and financial assistance to Ukraine. This includes, in particular, the work carried out within the framework of the coalition of the willing, as well as the restrictive measures imposed and maintained against the Russian Federation,” the statement says.
The European leaders emphasized that a diplomatic solution must ultimately protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and the entire continent—this particularly includes reliable security guarantees for Ukraine. The statement also notes that Ukraine has the freedom to choose its own destiny and that negotiations, if substantive, can only take place under conditions of a ceasefire or a reduction in the intensity of fighting at the front.
“We maintain our principled position that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point for negotiations,” the joint statement emphasizes.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the European leaders’ statement via Telegram, saying that Ukraine “values and fully supports these words.” He also once again stressed that the end of the war in Ukraine must be “just.”
