Zelenskiy urges unity in peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged sustained unity among Europe, Ukraine and the United States as essential for both defending Kyiv and advancing a negotiated end to Russia’s war, following high-level talks in London where he sought support for a U.S.-led peace push. Leaders including British, French and German officials voiced backing for coordinated diplomatic pressure and continued military and economic assistance, while acknowledging unresolved disputes over key treaty elements such as security guarantees and the status of Russian-occupied territory.

Zelenskiy described negotiations as constructive but difficult, warning that fractures in Western cohesion would weaken Ukraine’s battlefield position and diplomatic leverage. He called for continued deliveries of air-defence systems, drones, ammunition and economic support to stabilise energy networks, rebuild damaged cities and maintain state functions.

Differences surfaced over the U.S. proposal underpinning talks: French President Emmanuel Macron said recent sanctions had begun to harm Russia’s economy, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed scepticism about aspects of the U.S. position without specifying details. Diplomats noted a contrast between a European preference for a step-by-step framework tied to long-term guarantees and sustained aid, and U.S. emphasis on quicker deal-making and burden-sharing—an approach vulnerable to political shifts in Washington.

Moscow maintains it is open to negotiations and blames Kyiv and Western partners for impeding progress; Kyiv and its allies counter that Russia is using diplomacy to entrench territorial gains. European participants stressed that reconstruction planning should proceed alongside military and diplomatic efforts to ensure long-term stability.

Leaders at the London meeting reiterated the need to protect the “common diplomatic and security front” they said enabled recent negotiation progress. They agreed to continue coordinated pressure on Moscow, sustain military supplies and advance economic assistance, while beginning to align on post-war reconstruction frameworks. Zelenskiy said Ukraine would remain committed to a peace plan that preserves its sovereignty and territorial integrity, but stressed such an outcome depends on enduring Western unity and readiness to follow through with both security guarantees and rebuilding support.