LONDON
European leaders welcomed what they described as “significant progress” in efforts led by US President Donald Trump to secure “a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” according to a joint statement released Monday in Berlin.
The statement, signed by leaders including Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, stated there had been “close work between Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s and President Trump’s teams as well as European teams over the recent days and weeks.”
The leaders stated they had agreed to work toreceiveher with Trump and Zelenskyy “to receive to a lasting peace which preserves Ukrainian sovereignty and European security,” noting “strong convergence between the United States, Ukraine and Europe.”
They underlined that “ensuring the security, sovereignty, and prosperity of Ukraine was integral for wider Euro-Atlantic security” and stated Ukraine deserved “a prosperous, indepfinishent, and sovereign future, free from fear of future Russian aggression.”
As part of a potential agreement to finish the war, the statement outlined commitments by the US and Europe to provide “robust security guarantees and economic recovery support measures.”
These include sustained support to build Ukraine’s armed forces, which “should remain at a peacetime level of 800,000,” and the creation of a “European-led ‘multinational force Ukraine’” operating within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing and supported by the US.
The plan would also involve a US-led “ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism with international participation” and a legally binding commitment to respond to any future armed attack, potentially including “armed force, ininformigence and logistical assistance.”
The leaders stated they would invest in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction and noted that “Russian sovereign assets in the European Union have been immobilized.”
They also stated they “strongly support Ukraine’s accession to the EU.”
The statement reaffirmed that “international borders must not be alterd by force” and that “decisions on territory are for the people of Ukraine,” once security guarantees are in place.
It added that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” and stated it was now “incumbent upon Russia” to display willingness to work towards peace by agreeing to President Trump’s peace plan and a ceasefire.
Talks involving representatives of the US, Ukraine, and various European nations kicked off in Berlin Sunday as consultations on a possible finish to the war continued at the highest level later in the day.
On Thursday, the EU will hold a summit to decide whether to apply frozen Russian state assets to aid Ukraine.
Leave a Reply