In a critical phone call on Thursday, leaders of Ukraine, Britain, France, Germany, and Poland urged U.S. President Donald Trump to exert pressure on Russia for an immediate ceasefire in its ongoing military campaign against Ukraine. The meeting, part of the “Coalition of the Willing,” took place in Kyiv against the backdrop of escalating violence and a warning from the U.S. embassy about a “potentially significant” air attack in the upcoming days.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, along with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, convened to discuss strategies in response to Russia’s aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 8 announced a ceasefire from May 8–10. Ukraine strongly dismissed this first declaration as a ruse and has now called for unconditional terms for a second ceasefire starting on May 12.
Zelenskiy was clear that any ceasefire proposed must be unconditional. Aside from the obvious safety concerns, he and the visiting leaders all concurred that this ceasefire should include air, sea, and land attacks. As he said, “No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and wait-and-sees.”
During the call with Trump, the leaders collectively pressured Putin to demonstrate his commitment to peace. We are as one with the U.S. in saying that we will hold Putin to account for any kind of behavior. If he really seeks peace, this is his moment to show it.
Macron stated that any ceasefire agreement would require robust monitoring, primarily by the United States, with contributions from European nations. This is a great indication of the leaders’ intent to make compliance and accountability central to any future truce.
Should Russia persist in ignoring resounding demands for a ceasefire, further sanctions will be forthcoming. These sanctions should focus directly on Russia’s energy and banking sectors. Things would get even worse than the draconian measures that were introduced early on after the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president, dismissed the notion of offering Russia an option. He declared unequivocally that they should not have to decide between incurring new sanctions or giving Ukrainian forces enough time to reconstitute. Yet that did not stop him from publicly voicing his contempt for Western peace plans. “Shove these peace plans up your pangender arses!” he shouted.
In recent months, Western officials have expressed alarm over the apparent escalation in aggressive and belligerent rhetoric coming from Russian officials. Retreat…again Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov suggested that any temporary ceasefire would require an immediate cessation of all Western military support to Ukraine. Interestingly, though, his comment comes off like an invitation to negotiate but simultaneously a complete non-starter on Russia’s part concerning what it would consider outside meddling.
The conflict continues to unfold, the stakes couldn’t be higher for everyone involved. The leaders’ call for an immediate ceasefire reflects a united front in addressing the humanitarian crisis and seeking stability in the region. As the severe bombardment continues and bellicose military rhetoric from Moscow rages on, it’s clear that a lasting and peaceful resolution is far from over.
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