From Macron to Ukraine: The European Union is urging an end of the war in Ukraine, says Premier Petrovich Zelenskyy

French President Emmanuel Macron, who called Ukraine “the beating heart of Europe” – documented the leaders’ journey by train on Instagram and posted a video of the group with Zelenskyy and Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska visiting a memorial to the war dead in central Kyiv. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “symbolic” to meet in Kyiv, a city that faces near-daily Russian attacks, and showed “the strength of our unity.”

The leaders of four European countries threatened to put pressure on Moscow if it did not accept the 30-day truce in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday.

In a joint statement, as published on Zelenskyy’s official website, the five leaders called for a ceasefire “lasting at least 30 days” from Monday, to make room for a diplomatic push to end the war.

“All of us here, together with the U.S., are calling Putin out,” added British prime minister Keir Starmer. “If he’s serious about peace then he has a chance to show it now.”

The fighting would stop on land, sea and in the air. If Putin didn’t comply, the European leaders said they would increase sanctions on Russia’s banks and energy sector.

The leaders of France, Germany and Poland traveled together to Kyiv to participate in a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing”, which is mostly European nations who would assist Ukraine if there is adurable ceasefire after more than three years.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canada’s Mark Carney were joined by video link.

The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who assumed office in May, was the first German chancellor to visit Ukraine. If Russia does not accept the proposal, Europe will keep defending Ukraine, according to Merz.

In November Russia gave the U.S. a brief advance warning about its Oreshnik intermediate-range missile that could travel at 10 times the speed of sound.

Russian shelling in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region over the past day killed three residents and wounded four more, local officials said. One civilian died Saturday as a Russian drone hit the city of Kherson, according to regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin.

Vladimir Putin proposes direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, after the U.S.-Russia war on the 19th weekend of the Second World War

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, “without preconditions,” an offer that came in response to Ukraine and its allies urging Moscow to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face additional sanctions.

Turkey hosted unsuccessful talks to end the hostilities between Russia and Ukrainians shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The deal included provisions for Ukraine to have neutral status, as well as limits on its armed forces, in an effort to delay the status of Russian-occupied areas.

“An unconditional ceasefire by definition cannot be subject to any conditions. If Russia wants to prolong the war, this is an effort to undermine diplomacy.

The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said their proposal for a ceasefire to start on Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day.

Putin held a series of bilateral talks on Saturday with foreign officials who had attended the celebrations in Moscow to mark the end of the Nazis, in a bid to emphasize the fact that the West has failed to isolate it on the global stage. Putin’s interlocutors included To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the leaders of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and the Palestinian Authority.

Trump said last week that he doubts Putin wants to end his war in Ukraine, expressing new skepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon, and hinted at further sanctions against Russia.

Russia has kept up attacks along the front line, including strikes on residential areas with no obvious military targets.

Even if the initiative of the weekend should fail, most member states of the European Union and a large coalition of willing around the world are determined to enforce the sanctions against Moscow, said Merz.

Ukraine’s European allies view its fate as fundamental to the continent’s security, and pressure is now mounting to find ways to support Kyiv militarily, regardless of whether Trump pulls out.

He said details about possible European deployment to Ukraine are still being worked out. No mention was made of NATO membership, still Kyiv’s top choice for a security guarantee.

Source: Russia’s Putin proposes direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15

The end of World War II: Russian-Ukraine dialogue failed after Putin invaded Ukraine on April 11, 2018, according to a news report

Earlier on Saturday, the European leaders joined a ceremony at Kyiv’s Independence Square marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. They lit candles alongside Zelenskyy at a makeshift flag memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers and civilians slain since Russia’s invasion.

Ukrainian Telegram channels linked the embassy’s warning to Russia banning flights over the Kapustin Yar military training complex. A similar flight ban preceded November’s strike. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials.

Trump called for a meeting between Russia andUkraine to discuss ending the three-year war.

The peace talks of the year 2022, which took place in Istanbul in March, did not go forward after Moscow invaded the country, as Putin proposed to reporters early on Sunday.