UK, Germany, France back ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia
The British, German and French leaders backed a call by Ukraine's Zelenskyy for direct talks with Russian President Putin. The European leaders met Zelenskyy in
The British, German and French leaders backed a call by Ukraine's Zelenskyy for direct talks with Russian President Putin. The European leaders met Zelenskyy in London. As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues in its fifth year, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European partners for talks on support for Kyiv. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron were present at the meeting. Together the three European leaders helm an informal security alliance known as the E3, which is one of Ukraine's main sources of international support. In a joint statement, they extended their support to a proposal for a direct dialogue between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin — with US and European participation — to try to secure a ceasefire. "Leaders commended President Zelenskyy's call for an end to the war, negotiated by diplomatic means, as set out in his letter to the president," the statement said, referring to an open letter Zelenskyy wrote to Putin last week, proposing a face-to-face meeting between the two. The letter was snubbed by the Russian leader, who said the offer did not come across as sincere. Putin said he saw "no point" in meeting Zelensky until a possible peace deal had been agreed.
Ukraine needs more missiles, Zelenskyy tells Starmer Meanwhile, Zelenskyy — who joined the European leaders in Downing Street — said he told the UK's Starmer that Kyiv needed additional missiles for air defence systems. "I informed Keir about the need for additional missiles for air defense systems and the things that are important for protecting energy infrastructure and preparing for winter," the Ukrainian leader wrote on X. After Sunday's talks, Starmer, Merz and Macron stressed that Europe had a key role to play in any settlement as a firm supporter of Kyiv The UK and France also lead the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" initiative to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace process, while Germany gives the most support to Kyiv in absolute terms. Russian drone hits nuclear-fuel storage facility As the talks were underway, a Russian drone struck a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near the disused Chernobyl (Chornobyl) plant, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday. The UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said it had been informed of the attack and that radiation levels at the site had remained stable. The facility is located around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Chernobyl plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986.
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