UK, France, Germany back direct Ukraine-Russia talks; Putin rejects Zelensky’s face-to-face meeting offer
LONDON – The leaders of Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement on Sunday following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London, expressing support for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia aimed at achieving a ceasefire.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they backed direct Ukraine-Russia talks conducted in close cooperation with Ukraine, European partners and the United States.
The three European leaders called for an immediate and complete ceasefire, with the current line of contact serving as the starting point for negotiations. The joint statement also said that international borders must not be changed by force and that Ukraine’s sovereign right to choose its own security arrangements must be fully respected.
On Europe’s role in any potential settlement, the statement said Europe has an important part to play. It added that matters relating to the European Union and NATO would require the consent of their respective members.
Zelensky earlier this week proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter, suggesting Switzerland, Turkey or an Arab nation as possible venues.
Russia has responded to the proposal. Putin said he saw no grounds for a meeting with Zelensky at this stage, arguing that under current conditions such talks would lack meaning. The Kremlin has also stressed that any negotiations must recognise “realities on the ground” – referring to Russian-controlled territories in eastern and southern Ukraine.
As of Sunday, the Kremlin had not issued a formal response to the joint statement by the British, French and German leaders. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has previously pointed out significant differences between Ukraine’s position – using the current line of contact as a starting point for talks – and Russia’s insistence on basing any negotiation on existing territorial control.
Analysts note that the joint statement reflects closer coordination among major European powers on the Ukraine conflict, but Putin’s rejection of a face-to-face meeting and Moscow’s stated conditions suggest that immediate direct dialogue remains unlikely.