Ukraine, European leaders agree to unconditional 30-day ceasefire in war with Russia
Ukraine and key European leaders agreed Saturday to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning May 12 with the backing of President Donald Trump, threatening Russian President Vladimir Putin with new "massive" sanctions if he failed to comply.
The announcement was made by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine after a meeting in Kyiv, during which they held a phone call with Trump.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also visited the memorial of fallen Ukrainian soldiers at independence square in Kyiv on Saturday.
In a post on X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that following their "Coalition of the Willing" gathering, the five country's leaders had "a fruitful call" with Trump that was focused on peace efforts.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a full unconditional ceasefire on land, air, and at sea for at least 30 days starting already on Monday," Sybiha said. "If Russia agrees and effective monitoring is ensured, a durable ceasefire and confidence-building measures can pave the way to peace negotiations."
A joint statement from leaders of France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and Ukraine said the countries agreed that if Russia rejects a 30-day ceasefire then sanctions should be adopted targeting Russia's banking and energy sectors, fossil fuels, oil, and Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers.
The sanctions would come from the European Union, the statement said, in coordination with sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom, Norway and the United States.
"They expressed their readiness to further strengthen Ukraine’s defense, in particular its army," the statement also said. "This should include funding defense resilience and investing in weapons production both in Ukraine and in European countries as part of joint projects.
Putin last week declared a three-day ceasefire over May 8-10 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies over Nazi Germany in World War Two. But the pause came amid a backdrop of daily skirmishes, largely by drone warfare.
Contributing: Reuters and Joey Garrison of Paste BN