The French president’s office announced that Emmanuel Macron will join British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday in London.
According to the Elysee’s statement, the gathering aims to maintain close cooperation on their joint commitment to backing Ukraine while applying greater pressure on Russia’s military campaign. The statement declared that “Russia is facing military, economic, and strategic failure — and persists, unsuccessfully, on the front lines in a deadly war.”
The Ukrainian president is seeking increased European leadership in efforts to end the ongoing conflict, particularly as concerns grow that U.S. President Donald Trump may be focused on Iranian issues instead.
Earlier this week, Zelenskiy published an open letter on Thursday calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in direct talks to conclude what has now been more than four years of warfare. The Kremlin confirmed Putin received the correspondence.
Speaking on Friday, Macron expressed support for direct dialogue, stating: “We have always advocated for direct negotiations between Ukraine and the Kremlin… I think that it is Ukraine and Russia who can build both a ceasefire and a peace plan. It is the Europeans who can help with this.”
During his visit to Montenegro, Merz echoed the sentiment for diplomatic engagement, saying “we are open to dialogue, what is missing is Putin’s willingness.”
