Kyiv (TDI): Leaders of France, Germany, Britain, and Poland have arrived in Ukraine to meet the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for talks and show solidarity with Ukraine after President Putin gathered 29 world leaders for the Victory Day parade in Moscow.
During the meeting, the European leaders discuss the proposal of the United States and European countries to initiate a 30-day complete ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The leaders have also been contemplating on imposing more sanctions on Russia, in case it refuses to oblige. However, the final decision has not been taken yet.
This is the first time that the four leaders: French President Macron, British Prime Minister Starmer, Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, and Germany’s new Chancellor, Fredrich Merz, have travelled together to Ukraine to show their support.
We commemorated the warriors who gave their lives for our freedom and Ukraine’s independence.
Eternal glory and gratitude to the heroes — those who are no longer with us, but who will forever remain in our hearts. Eternal memory to those who gave their lives defending Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/6goudUUGhk
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 10, 2025
In a joint statement issued by the leaders, they said, “Alongside the U.S., 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 also arrived in Ukraine to show solidarity with Ukraine after the Russian President had hosted the Victory Day parade in Moscow, in which 29 world leaders had gathered. Kremlin stated that the attendance of key Russian allies such as China’s Xi Jinping, Brazil’s President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and leaders from Africa, Latin America, and Asia show that Moscow is not isolated on the world stage.
After the arrival of four major European leaders in Ukraine, President Zelenskiy accompanied them as they paid their respects at a memorial in central Kyiv to honor those Ukrainian soldiers who have died fighting against Russian forces.
The visit also came at a critical time as the US President, Donald Trump, has been pushing for peace between Russia and Ukraine, trailing off from the path that the former US Presidents have set.
President Trump, since assuming office has been eagerly pushing for peace between the two countries, which later turned into frustration after both sides kept on engaging in conflicts despite announcing ceasefires.
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President Zelenskyy also reported that several Russian missiles have attacked Ukraine during the ongoing three-day ceasefire that President Putin had earlier announced, which is to end today.
Moreover, Ukrainian leader along with the European leadership have recently been pushing for a 30-day full ceasefire after the US President, on Thursday, called for it. President Zelenskyy said that he would implement it immediately.
On the other hand, Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said on Friday that Russia would support the ceasefire, but only with due consideration of “nuances.” He elaborated those nuances in his interview to ABC News, on Saturday, when he said that for a temporary ceasefire to happen, Western military aid to Ukraine would have to stop, “Otherwise, it will be an advantage for Ukraine.”
On the same day the Russian President had gathered the world leaders in Moscow, the European ministers had voiced their support for the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute President Vladimir Putin and his officials for Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine. A move that will not only show their support for Ukraine but will also push Russia towards peace.
Javaria Khalid is a writer and researcher, who specializes in Pakistan's Foreign Policy Analysis, Europe's Security, and Pakistan’s relations with the European countries and the EU. She can be reached at javariakhalid011@outlook.com
