Merz, Macron and Starmer push for 30-day ceasefire in Kyiv visit Sanctions to intensify if Russia spurns ceasefire

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, called for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine during a high-profile visit to Kyiv.

The leaders signalled transatlantic unity in urging Russia to allow space for potential peace negotiations, while warning of a coordinated escalation of sanctions should Moscow reject the offer, Caliber.Az reports per German media.

“We are here together, at the same time, with a clear message: we support Ukraine,” Merz said following a joint meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We are aligned with the US government and with Donald Trump. We are calling for a 30-day ceasefire to prepare the ground for peace talks. The next move is up to President Putin.”

The leaders’ visit comes amid growing frustration in Western capitals over the prolonged stalemate in the war and Russia’s refusal to engage in substantive negotiations. All three European heads of government laid flowers at the Maidan memorial in central Kyiv, in a symbolic gesture of solidarity.

Merz said that if no ceasefire is in place by the end of the weekend, the EU, the UK and the US are prepared to significantly tighten sanctions against Russia. “There will be a substantial increase in pressure,” he said. “We will continue to provide robust support to Ukraine — politically, financially, and militarily.”

Merz noted that the United States shared this stance, stating that Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, appeared to be “losing patience with Putin.” While Trump has at times expressed scepticism about US military aid to Ukraine, Merz described a “surprisingly high degree of agreement” in recent talks with both the Biden administration and Trump’s team.

“We have jointly proposed a time-limited ceasefire that could create space for diplomacy,” he said. “And we are united in making it clear that if this initiative fails, Western sanctions on Russia will be intensified.”

The visit underscores an attempt by European leaders to reclaim a diplomatic initiative in the war, while demonstrating that unity between Brussels, London and Washington remains intact despite shifting political winds, particularly in the US.

Whether Moscow will respond remains uncertain. Kremlin officials have previously dismissed temporary ceasefires as “tactical ploys” and insisted that any peace talks must acknowledge Russian territorial claims — a non-starter for Kyiv and its Western partners.

By Aghakazim Guliyev