European leaders reached out to U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a proposed 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, set to begin on Monday, during his visit to Kyiv. This call followed a meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” which aimed to advance peace negotiations.
In a show of solidarity, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted the leaders of France, Germany, the UK, and Poland in person, while others participated virtually. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the coalition’s support for a “full and unconditional” ceasefire, a concept initially suggested by Trump, and warned that the EU was prepared to “impose further biting sanctions” if the ceasefire were violated.
The presence of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv served as a powerful counter to the more than 20 leaders who gathered with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow just days earlier. In a joint statement prior to their visit, the leaders declared their commitment to “stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric and illegal full-scale invasion.” They urged Russia, alongside the U.S., to agree to a “full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire” to facilitate discussions for a just and lasting peace.
A 30-hour ceasefire, unilaterally declared by Putin to commemorate Russia’s Victory Day, is set to conclude on Saturday. While this temporary pause has led to a reduction in hostilities, both sides have accused each other of violations.
The “coalition of the willing” was established to strengthen any future peace agreement with security assurances, including the potential deployment of troops in Ukraine. Following a phone conversation with Zelensky, Trump reiterated his call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, stating on social media, “If the ceasefire is not respected, the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctions.”
As the meeting unfolded, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked that Russia was already “used to sanctions” and had learned to mitigate their effects, asserting, “There is no point in trying to scare us with these sanctions.” Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, dismissed the European leaders’ peace proposals, telling them to “shove these peace plans.”
Among those who joined the meeting remotely were Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Despite claims of a temporary ceasefire, reports of Russian attacks across Ukraine persist. In the northern Sumy region, an 85-year-old woman was killed, and three others were injured, with significant damage to residential properties, according to Ukrainian police. In Kostyantynivka, located in the eastern Donetsk region, one person was injured, and two apartment buildings were set ablaze due to Russian strikes, as reported by the Ukrainian state emergency service DSNS. Additionally, in the southern city of Kherson, a 58-year-old local resident sought medical assistance after being targeted by a Russian drone carrying explosives, according to regional authorities.
