European leaders in Ukraine’s Kyiv press Russia for 30-day ceasefire | Russia-Ukraine war News

European leaders have have held talks in Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an attempt to put pressure on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire as a step to end the three-year conflict, threatening Moscow with “massive sanctions” if it refuses.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kyiv together by train from neighbouring Poland on Saturday. Later, they were joined by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

The demand was announced by the visiting leaders in a joint news conference with Zelenskyy. A “coalition of the willing”, a group of more than 30 countries, have pledged to buttress Ukraine to fend off Russian aggression and occupation.

The proposed ceasefire, to begin on Monday, would include a halt to fighting on land, sea and in the air. The European leaders threatened to ratchet up sanctions, including on Russia’s energy and banking sectors, if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not comply.

A force comprised of foreign troops could also be deployed as an added “reassurance” measure, Macron said. He added that the United States would take the lead in monitoring a proposed cease-fire, with support from European countries.

Starmer said, “only one country started this illegal conflict, and that was Russia and Putin, and only one country stands in the way of resolving it peacefully, and that is Russia and Putin”.

The Kremlin then accused those European countries of making confrontational statements in Kyiv, the Russian Interfax news agency reported. “We hear many contradictory statements from Europe. They are generally confrontational in nature rather than aimed at trying to revive our relations. Nothing more,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying.

Later Saturday, Russia said it will consider the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, while Moscow has its own position, the TASS news agency said, citing Peskov.

United States President Donald Trump has proposed a 30-day unconditional ceasefire as a step to end the conflict. But Putin has resisted so far.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier Saturday that his country and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” with Russia for at least 30 days starting on Monday.

Symbolic, yet practical

It is the first time the leaders of the four European nations have made a joint visit to Ukraine.

“There is a lot of work to do, a lot of topics to discuss. We must end this war with a just peace. We must force Moscow to agree to a ceasefire,” said Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, posting photographs welcoming the leaders off the train.

More than three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the hugely symbolic show of European unity comes a day after Putin struck a defiant tone at a Moscow parade marking 80 years since victory in World War II.

Reporting from Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi said the quartet’s visit was “symbolic”, practical meetings were taking place, and the leaders were trying to “keep the US on side moving forward with any sort of talks”.

After the meeting, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the five leaders held a phone call with Trump to discuss their peace efforts.

“If Russia agrees and effective monitoring is ensured, a durable ceasefire and confidence-building measures can pave the way to peace negotiations,” Sybiha said on X.

Following the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Kyiv, all five leaders @ZelenskyyUa @EmmanuelMacron @bundeskanzler @donaldtusk @Keir_Starmer had a fruitful call with @POTUS focused on peace efforts.

Ukraine and all allies are ready for a full unconditional ceasefire on land,… pic.twitter.com/MEfbtjtE4m

— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) May 10, 2025

‘Just and lasting peace’

“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree [to] a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace,” the leaders said in a statement in advance of the visit.

“We are ready to support peace talks as soon as possible, to discuss technical implementation of the ceasefire, and prepare for a full peace deal,” they added.

The statement said: “The bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come.”

The leaders promised to continue to increase their support for Ukraine, saying, “Until Russia agrees to an enduring ceasefire, we will ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine.”

Peskov said in an interview with the ABC News channel on Saturday that arms deliveries from Ukraine’s allies must stop for Russia to agree to a ceasefire.

A truce would otherwise be an “advantage for Ukraine” at a time when “Russian troops are advancing … in quite a confident way” on the front, Peskov said, adding that Ukraine was “not ready for immediate negotiations”.

Russia has occupied about a fifth of Ukrainian territory and has yet to respond to the pressure for an enduring ceasefire.

Trump has also said Ukraine will have to consider giving up territory, such as the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula, but has expressed growing impatience with Russia’s refusal to halt the fighting.