European leaders gather in Kyiv to push for unconditional ceasefire and peace talks

On May 10, 2025, Kyiv welcomed European leaders for a summit organised at Ukraine’s initiative. The meeting was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, newly-appointed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

According to French media, Macron, Starmer, and Merz travelled together from the Polish-Ukrainian border to Kyiv, taking a train to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Caliber.Az reports via French media.

The meeting’s agenda included a joint call for a “complete” and “unconditional” ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow for a period of 30 days.

In a joint declaration, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the UK emphasised, "We reaffirm our support for President Trump’s call for a peaceful settlement... Along with the United States, we urge Russia to implement a full and unconditional ceasefire lasting 30 days to initiate talks towards a fair and lasting peace."

The leaders also expressed their readiness to support the negotiation process "as soon as possible" in order to discuss the technical details of implementing the ceasefire and preparing for a comprehensive peace agreement.

The declaration also included a statement regarding Ukraine's future: "Ukraine must be able to thrive again as a safe, protected, and sovereign state within its internationally recognised borders." This part of the declaration is seen as a reference to Crimea’s status.

A virtual meeting with other members of the "coalition of the willing"—a group of Western countries committed to providing Ukraine with "security guarantees"—is planned to follow.

The summit participants will also inform allies about the progress in forming the future coalition of air, ground, and sea forces to support the restoration of Ukraine’s armed forces after a potential peace agreement and to strengthen trust in the future peace process.

The French President and the British Prime Minister are leading the coalition, which is still in the process of being fully structured. Recent meetings of the coalition have taken place in Paris and London in the last few months.

By Tamilla Hasanova