Europeans rally round Ukraine as Trump envoy heads to Moscow
European leaders rallied to show support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday after United States (US)-Ukrainian talks to revise a peace proposal that initially favoured Russia, while Donald Trump’s envoy headed to Moscow to brief the Kremlin.
Zelenskyy was warmly received by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, and the two joined a call with about a dozen other European leaders, including those of Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland and the European Union (EU).
“The war must end as soon as possible. Much now depends on the involvement of every leader,” Zelenskyy posted on X.
Macron posted a picture of himself and the Ukrainian leader striding in front of an honour guard at the Elysee Palace.
Earlier, Zelenskyy made clear that Ukrainian and US negotiators had not yet fully hammered out revisions to a proposed US peace plan, despite two rounds of talks to adjust terms that initially endorsed Russia’s main wartime demands.
There were “some tough issues that still have to be worked through”, Zelenskyy posted following Sunday’s US-Ukrainian talks, held at a Florida luxury golf resort built by Trump’s envoy and fellow real estate magnate Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff left the talks to travel to Moscow, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.