Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Leaders of European nations, including the UK, France, Germany, and the European Union, released a joint statement with Ukraine on Tuesday, supporting US President Donald Trump’s call for a ceasefire along the current battle lines.
The statement comes after Trump called for a ceasefire on present lines after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House on Friday. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are also preparing to meet in Hungary.
What did the joint statement with Ukraine emphasise?
“We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations,”
a statement, published by several European governments on Tuesday, said.
“We are all united in our desire for a just and lasting peace, deserved by the people of Ukraine,
statement further said.
“Russia’s stalling tactics have shown time and time again that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace. We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction,”
it also added.
The statement also announced that European leaders will gather later this week at an EU summit and in the ‘coalition of the willing’ format of countries supporting Ukraine. Zelenskiy is scheduled to participate in the Coalition of the Willing meeting this Friday in London.
What did Trump say about current battle lines?
A day ago, Trump has urged Russia and Ukraine to halt the conflict and maintain the current front lines. On Sunday evening, Trump told reporters that both sides should cease fighting and settle the territorial ‘details’ in future negotiations.
“What I say is they should stop right now at the battle lines, go home, stop killing people and be done,”
the US president mentioned that reaching an agreement on the final resolution details would be challenging.
When asked about the future of Donbas, where most of the fighting has occurred, Trump stated:
“Let it be cut the way it is. It’s cut up right now – I think 78 per cent of the land is already taken by Russia. You leave it the way it is right now. They can negotiate something later on down the line.”
What is Russia’s official reaction to Trump’s ceasefire call?
Russia stated that its stance “remains unchanged” in response to Trump’s call to freeze the Ukraine conflict along the existing frontlines.
“This topic has been raised repeatedly, with various nuances, during Russian-American contacts, and the Russian side has always given the same response, which is well known: Russia’s position remains unchanged,”
stated Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov at a press briefing.
The Kremlin has previously rejected a ceasefire, stating that it believes Ukraine would use a cease to rearm and regroup and instead prefers to move more directly to negotiating a comprehensive peace deal. Russia has also demanded that Ukraine cede more territory to Russia than it currently occupies.
