European leaders discuss Ukraine with Trump at ‘critical moment’ for peace
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(From left) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron after a Dec 8 meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in London.
PHOTO: EPA
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- UK, France, Germany and the US discussed peace efforts in Ukraine, calling it "a critical moment" amid pressure on Kyiv to agree to a deal.
- The E3 are working to refine a US peace plan that could require Ukraine to cede territory, abandon NATO ambitions and limit its forces.
- Continued support for Kyiv was pledged, with further meetings planned to advance the peace plan and address security guarantees for Ukraine.
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PARIS/LONDON - The leaders of Britain, France and Germany held a call on Dec 10 with US President Donald Trump to discuss Washington’s latest peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine, in what they said was “a critical moment” in the process.
Kyiv is under pressure from the White House to secure a quick peace but is pushing back on a US-backed plan
French President Emmanuel Macron, arriving late for a public debate in western France, said he had just held a 40-minute discussion with Mr Trump and his European colleagues to see how to move forward on “a subject that concerns all of us”.
Separate statements from the so-called E3 powers said the leaders had commended the Trump administration’s mediation efforts to achieve a robust and lasting peace in Ukraine, nearly four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
“(The leaders) agreed that this is a critical moment for Ukraine, for its people and for the common security of the Euro-Atlantic region,” the British readout said.
Increased US pressure
The three countries, along with other European partners and Ukraine, have been working frantically in the last few weeks to refine the original US proposals that envisaged Kyiv giving up swathes of its territory to Moscow, abandoning its ambition to join NATO and accepting limits on the size of its armed forces.
Among the key elements the E3 powers are trying to hammer out are potential security guarantees for Ukraine once there is a peace accord.
“Intensive work on the peace plan is continuing and will continue in the coming days,” the E3 statements said.
Mr Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in London on Dec 8
Leaders from the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” group of nations backing Ukraine will hold a follow-up meeting via videocall on Dec 11, the French presidency said.
Mr Zelensky said he would also attend that call.
Separately, Mr Macron and Mr Starmer will join Mr Merz for further talks on Dec 15 in Berlin, two European Union diplomats told Reuters on condition of anonymity. REUTERS
