By Tom Balmforth
KYIV (Reuters) – The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland headed to Kyiv on Saturday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a show of unity a day after Russia’s Vladimir Putin hosted his allies in a Victory Day parade on Red Square.
The summit will discuss a U.S. and European proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the Russian war in Ukraine that if refused by Moscow would see them jointly impose new sanctions, a French diplomatic source said, adding that the step had not yet been finalised.
The visit by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled together to Ukraine.
“Alongside the U.S., we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace,” the four European leaders said in a joint statement.
The visit comes at an unpredictable diplomatic moment in Russia’s more than three-year-long war against Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid peace after tearing up the policies of his predecessor since entering the White House in January.
After engaging directly with Russian officials, clashing publicly with Zelenskiy and briefly cutting vital military aid to Ukraine, the Trump administration has patched up ties with Kyiv and signed an arduously-negotiated minerals deal.
There has also been a palpable shift in tone from Trump, who has signalled growing frustration with Putin’s foot-dragging over a ceasefire and Russia’s restatement of its demands for a settlement.
Trump has threatened to step up sanctions against Russia but he has also said he could abandon the peace effort if there is no breakthrough. He called on Thursday for a 30-day ceasefire and Zelenskiy said he would be ready to implement it immediately.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Friday that Russia supports the implementation of a 30-day ceasefire in the conflict, but only with due consideration of “nuances”.
Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders at a Red Square military parade on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, sending a defiant message that he is not isolated.
On the same day, European ministers voiced support for a special tribunal to prosecute the Russian President and his officials for crimes of aggression, showing support for Zelenskiy who on Thursday poured scorn on Putin for planning a “parade of bile and lies”.
‘BALL IN MOSCOW’S COURT’
On the eve of the summit, the U.S. embassy in Kyiv warned of a “potentially significant” air attack in the coming days and told its citizens to be ready to seek shelter in the event of air raid sirens.
The four foreign leaders will meet Zelenskiy on Saturday morning and are also expected to pay their respects at a memorial in central Kyiv to honour Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war.
They are expected to host a virtual meeting with other leaders to update them on progress being made for a future coalition of an air, land, maritime and “regeneration” force that would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal, Britain’s Downing Street said.
The visit falls on the final day of a May 8-10 ceasefire declared by Putin that Ukraine did not accept, denouncing it as a sham. Both sides have accused each other of violating it.
Zelenskiy said on Thursday he told Trump in a telephone call that a 30-day ceasefire would be a “real indicator” of progress towards peace with Russia, and that Kyiv was ready to implement it immediately.
The French diplomatic source said work had not been completed on the proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, but that the U.S. and European allies hoped they were “at a moment of convergence”.
“What could happen in the coming hours and days, there could be an announcement of a ceasefire either of 30 days or compartmentalized, which is still being discussed,” the source said.
Merz, who became Germany’s chancellor this week, said on Friday that the ball was now in Moscow’s court.
“It is solely there that the decision will be made as to whether there is a chance, starting this coming weekend – that is, at the beginning of next week – to enable a longer ceasefire in Ukraine,” he said.
(Reporting by Tom Balmforth; additional reporting by John Irish and Sarah Marsh; editing by Nia Williams)
