Leaders In Ukraine To Urge Ceasefire
BBC News
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Leaders In Ukraine To Urge Ceasefire
BBC News
European leaders hold call with US President Donald Trump during peace talks in Kyiv
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky hosts Emmanuel Macron, Donald Tusk, Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer to discuss securing peace in Ukraine
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says there's "no point trying to scare us with sanctions," after Starmer announced new penalties on Russia
What chance is there of a ceasefire in Ukraine? Not much, despite the presence of four major European leaders in Kyiv, our security correspondent Frank Gardner writes
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Macron and Starmer arrive in Kyiv
Edited by Neha Gohil in London with correspondents Henry Zeffman and Frank Gardner in Kyiv
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
Keir Starmer and fellow European leaders have called President Trump from Ukraine to discuss plans for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia from Monday. Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
Keir Starmer and fellow European leaders have called President Trump from Ukraine to discuss plans for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia.
After a virtual meeting of the coalition of the willing, the prime minister, along with presidents Zelensky and Macron, Chancellor Merz and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, called Trump to update him on their support for the US proposal.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has released a statement on X reiterating her support for a "full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire".
She says the "Coalition of the willing convened" and the 30-day ceasefire is meant to "pave the way for meaningful peace negotiations".
Von der Leyen warns that if the potential ceasefire is broken, the EU is ready to "impose further biting sanctions".
“Our objective is clear: a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, which is vital for security and stability across our continent," she adds.
As European leaders discuss a ceasefire and possible further sanctions on Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia is already "used to sanctions".
“We know what to do to minimise their impact after these sanctions are announced. We have learnt to do this. There is no point in trying to scare us with these sanctions," he says.
He also says some Europeans are irritated that several leaders chose to celebrate Victory Day with Russia.
Yesterday, more than 20 world leaders, including China's Xi Jinping, joined Putin at the ceremony commemorating World War Two.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just tweeted about his meeting in Kyiv today.
“Russia must agree to a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Starmer says.
Every step we take towards that is another step towards security and prosperity in the UK
Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister
Frank Gardner
Security correspondent in Kyiv
Not much, despite the presence of four major European leaders in Kyiv today.
Russia has already indicated it will not even consider America’s proposed 30-day ceasefire unless the West halts arms supplies to Ukraine.
That’s a non-starter. In fact, quite the opposite is happening with renewed pledges of military hardware and ammunition coming from European nations. Ukraine believes that only hard pressure on Moscow will work, notably in the form of those secondary sanctions that President Trump alluded to recently.
If those were applied then it would impact Russia’s ability to keep funding its military campaign against Ukraine and reduce its capacity for luring new recruits with the promise of cash bonuses. But, this depends heavily on Donald Trump’s mood and on whether he considers Russia or Ukraine to be the obstacle to peace on any given day.
Meanwhile, it is quite likely that President Zelensky will use today’s leaders’ visit to ask Germany’s newly elected Chancellor Merz to speed up the delivery of long-range Taurus cruise missiles. Ukraine says it needs weapons like these to be able to hit the bases across the border from which Russia is launching its daily attacks.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he will keep “increasing pressure on Russia's war machine” unless Russia agrees to a permanent ceasefire.
In a series of tweets, he says leaders from France, Germany, Poland and the UK stand together in Kyiv to show their support for Ukraine. “The bloodshed must end,” he says.
We can bring you some of the latest images from Kyiv.
As a reminder, a meeting of European leaders is currently under way as they try to secure a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer walks with French President Emanuel Macron in Kyiv
Ahead of the meeting, the leaders laid candles at a memorial for those who have died during the war
The leaders are urging Russia to "agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire"Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent, travelling with the PM
Keir Starmer and his fellow European leaders are here in Kyiv now, in large part as a response to the parade President Putin held in Moscow yesterday where he was joined by around 20 world leaders including Xi Jinping of China.
Within an hour of stepping off the sleeper train, Keir Starmer joined President Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Zelensky, with the First Lady Olena Zelenska, at Maidan square in central Kyiv – long a symbol of Ukrainian independence.
At a solemn ceremony, they laid candles at a memorial to Ukraine’s war dead.
What’s clear from speaking to senior UK government sources is that VE Day is weighing heavily on their minds too.
At the end of a week in which Britain commemorated 80 years since the end of war in Europe, Starmer is here in Ukraine to see a war in Europe.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring
As the Victory Day ceasefire declared by Vladimir Putin enters its third and final day, more Russian attacks are reported in Ukraine.
In northern Sumy region, an 85-year-old woman was killed, three others were injured, 19 residential homes and 10 other buildings were destroyed or damaged, Ukrainian police say.
In Kostyantynivka, eastern Donetsk region, one person was injured and two apartment blocks caught fire after Russian attacks. Rescuers who arrived at the scene were targeted by repeat “double tap” strikes, Ukrainian state emergencies service DSNS says.
In the southern city of Kherson, a 58-year-old local resident sought medical help after being attacked by a Russian drone carrying explosives, the regional administration says.
The meeting of European leaders in Kyiv today comes after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced new sanctions on Putin’s so-called “shadow fleet” yesterday.
This term refers to a group of Russian oil tankers used to get around current sanctions on oil and gas exports.
In response, Zelensky said in a tweet on Friday that he is grateful to the UK for the “powerful new sanctions package”.
“Every step that limits the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war brings peace closer. The UK is once again demonstrating a leadership approach,” he said.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov says Ukraine’s allies must stop sending weapons to Ukraine before any ceasefire can happen.
Speaking to ABC News, external, Peskov says if arms deliveries continue, it will be an “advantage” for Ukraine, as the country “will continue their total mobilisation” and bring more troops to the front line.
He also says Ukraine is "not ready for immediate negotiations," while Putin is trying to “achieve a settlement through peaceful and diplomatic means".
Donald Tusk, Keir Starmer, Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska, Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Mertz gather at Kyiv's Independence Square
We're now seeing images of leaders from the UK, France, Germany and Poland alongside Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.
They've been paying their respects to victims of the war at a memorial in Kyiv's Independence Square.
In a joint statement, the leaders say they are "ready to support peace talks"
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Three things we learned from Putin's Red Square parade
While Ukraine’s European allies meet in Kyiv, Russia has this week been hosting leaders from around the world for the country's Victory Day commemorations.
Russia said that 27 world leaders attended yesterday’s parade in Red Square, but it was the presence of China’s Xi Jinping that stood really stood out.
Russian state TV spoke of relations between the two countries as being at their highest-ever level, united against the "collective West".
Putin and Xi held two rounds of talks before the parade as well as an informal chat on the war in Ukraine, Chinese reports said.
Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Serbian President Aleksander Vucic were also at the event.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was the only leader of an EU member country to travel to Moscow.
"My first thought is with the Ukrainians," says Emmanuel Macron as he arrives in Kyiv.
In a post on X, the French president praises Ukrainians for fighting not just for their country, but for Europe too.
He says: “Faced with Russian aggression, our response must be collective." Which is why he is making this trip with Germany, Poland and the UK.
He also shares three key messages:
"First, peace," he says, "a just and lasting peace begins with a complete and unconditional ceasefire".
Second, "the peace agreement to be built must guarantee its security".
"Finally, the future," Macron adds, "a fee, strong, prosperous, and European Ukraine: that is our vision."
“History is watching us,” he concludes.
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has arrived in Kyiv.
In a post on X, he says: "Kyiv. An important day awaits us."
At Independence Square in Kyiv, he is greeted by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.Frank Gardner
Security correspondent
In Ukraine's Donetsk region, the war continues
Today is the last day of Russia’s self-declared three-day ceasefire which is due to end at midnight tonight, Moscow time.
The US embassy here in Kyiv is warning of the risk of significant air strikes in the days ahead.
But while there has been a pause in the near nightly bombardment of Ukrainian cities by Russian drones and missiles, there has been no let-up in fighting on the front line.
Britain, France, Germany and Poland are all urging Russia to agree to the US proposal of a 30-day ceasefire.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov has said Russia first needs Western nations to stop arming Ukraine, something that would leave this embattled nation vulnerable to further Russian advances on its towns and villages.
The war continues.
In a joint statement released before their arrival, Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Mertz and Donald Tusk said they will "stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine".
The statement adds that they will be calling for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, first proposed by the US in March, which they say will enable talks to take place for a lasting peace.
"We are ready to support peace talks as soon as possible, to discuss technical implementation of the ceasefire, and prepare for a full peace deal," the leaders say, adding they will "ratchet up pressure" on Russia until it agrees to an enduring ceasefire.
Later in the day, they are scheduled to host a virtual meeting with other leaders. They will provide an update on progress towards what is being called an "international reassurance force", that Number 10 says could "regenerate" Ukraine's armed forces after a possible peace deal.
Ed Habershon
BBC News
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just arrived in Kyiv, along with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The three leaders arrived by train from Poland after meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Tusk is expected to join them in Kyiv later today.
The leaders are using the visit to urge Russia to "agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire" – a proposal initially made by US President Donald Trump.
We've seen an image of the world leaders, who gathered in Rzeszów, Poland, before making their trip to Kyiv.
In a post on X, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk shares an insight into his meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
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European leaders call Trump from Ukraine to discuss 30-day ceasefire from Monday – BBC
