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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron in a joint phone call aimed at advancing peace in Ukraine, while delegations from Ukraine and the US are scheduled to meet today to discuss plans for the country’s postwar reconstruction and economic development.
According to a CNN report, France, Germany and the UK confirmed the call in almost identical statements.
Germany’s statement said the leaders discussed “the state of talks” on ending the Ukraine war and agreed that “intensive work on the peace plan is to continue in the coming days.”
They also concurred that it was “a crucial moment” for Ukraine and for “common security in the Euro-Atlantic area.”
The discussion comes amid increasingly strained US–Europe relations after Trump labelled European leaders ‘“weak” and “decaying” in an interview to Politico earlier this week.
The three European leaders had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London days earlier as proposals between Kyiv, Washington and Moscow continue to circulate.
France’s Elysee Palace said the leaders welcomed US efforts to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine, noting that coordination would continue.
Downing Street echoed this, saying the leaders “agreed that this was a critical moment – for Ukraine, its people and for shared security across the Euro-Atlantic region.”
Quick Reads
View AllIn his Politico interview on Monday, Trump urged Zelenskyy to “get on the ball” and “start accepting things,” accusing the Ukrainian president of not reading his multi-point peace plan.
US-Ukraine talks on reconstruction
Shortly after the leaders’ call with Trump, Zelenskyy announced that delegations from Ukraine and the United States would meet today to discuss plans for Ukraine’s reconstruction and economic development once the war with Russia ends.
“We continue to communicate with all our partners on a daily basis, virtually 24/7, to identify feasible and realistic steps to end the war,” CNN quoted Zelenskyy as saying in a Telegram post.
“Everything must be reliable and dignified for Ukraine,” he added.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is finalising “20 points of a fundamental document” that could outline the parameters for ending the war.
He expects the plan to be submitted to the US “in the near future,” after further joint work with American and European officials.
He had earlier signalled the updated proposal could potentially be handed to Washington today.
He added that the “Coalition of the Willing” — a group of countries backing intensified efforts to end the war — will meet tomorrow to continue discussions.
“This week may bring news for all of us and an end to the bloodshed,” Zelenskyy said.
“We believe that there is no alternative to peace, and the key questions are how to force Russia to stop the killings and what specifically will deter Russia from a third invasion,” he added.
With inputs from agencies
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