The leaders of Ukraine and its key European allies — the UK, France, and Germany — have outlined five conditions for reaching a "just and lasting" deal to end the war with Russia, following talks in London.
In a joint statement, Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to "stand firmly with Ukraine." The conditions include a ceasefire, starting negotiations from current battlefield positions, and "robust" security guarantees for Ukraine.
The leaders stressed the need for US involvement at a time when US President Donald Trump's focus has shifted to the war with Iran. In December, the US pushed Russia and Ukraine to quickly sign a plan to end the war.
The warring sides have recently intensified attacks. Russia uses missiles and drones to strike Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine has demonstrated increased capability to hit deep into Russian territory with new technology.
On Saturday, Ukrainian drones struck Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, during a major economic forum — an attack described as "unprecedented" by Russian authorities. Days earlier, Ukraine had attacked the outskirts of the same city.
Zelensky sent an open letter to Putin calling for direct negotiations, but the Russian leader has repeatedly rejected the offer. Putin said the war would end only when Russia's goals are met.
The three Western powers meeting at 10 Downing Street form the E3 group and are among Kyiv's strongest allies. The UK and France lead the "coalition of the willing" initiative to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any future peace process.
They welcomed Zelensky's letter to Putin and supported his call for "direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia — with active US and European participation." Referring to Moscow's insistence that Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations, they stated that Ukraine's right "to choose its own security arrangements and alliances must be fully respected."
Before arriving in London, Zelensky accused Russia of a "vile" attack after Kyiv officials said a drone struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chornobyl nuclear plant. No injuries were reported, a fire was extinguished, and radiation levels remained stable.
Separately, at least three people were killed in a Russian strike on a village outside Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine. Zaporizhzhia has come under relentless Russian attacks recently.
The Russian strike on Chornobyl "partially destroyed" a spent nuclear fuel storage building, according to Ukraine's state-owned nuclear operator, Enerhoatom. The operator said there were no injuries, the fire was put out, and radiation remained normal.
Zelensky criticized Russia for deliberately targeting nuclear infrastructure, calling the attack "vile." Chornobyl is the site of the world's worst non-military nuclear disaster, following the 1986 explosion.
Source: www.bbc.com