Neil MacDonald

BREAKING. Joint Statement of the Leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, President Emmanuel Macron of France, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany met on 7 June with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to reiterate their unwavering support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s illegal invasion and next steps in negotiations to support a just and lasting peace. They underlined that Europe had an important role to play in any settlement, as a steadfast supporter of Ukraine. Leaders were clear that all efforts should be conducted in closest cooperation with Ukraine, wider European partners, and the US. They welcomed recent Ukrainian successes on the battlefield, including the recent liberation of territory and ground-breaking use of drone technology. They condemned Russia’s large-scale missile and drone attacks - including the repeated use of the Oreshnik missiles - on Ukrainian cities with a tragic toll on civilians, as well as irresponsible and dangerous Russian drone incursions into NATO territory. They expressed their condolences to all the victims. They discussed how to use the upcoming G7 summit at Evian, the next meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, and the NATO summit at Ankara to best coordinate further support for Ukraine based on its prioritised needs, including further pressure on Russia’s war economy and an increased pledge of military and defence support for Ukraine at the NATO Summit. The leaders underlined the urgent need to scale up the production of interceptors and co-develop anti-ballistic missile and deep strike capabilities, and to support the future sustainability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.  They also discussed how the Alliance can learn from Ukraine’s battlefield expertise and how to increase long-term industrial cooperation with Ukraine to strengthen Europe’s own defence.  They emphasized the inextricable link between Ukraine’s security, prosperity and sovereignty and wider Euro-Atlantic security. On negotiations, they discussed the conditions that would need to be in place for a just and lasting peace. First, a stop to the fighting. They called on President Putin to agree to an immediate and complete ceasefire. Second, the current line of contact should be the starting point for negotiations. International borders must not be changed by force, and Ukraine’s sovereign right to choose its own security arrangements and alliances must be fully respected. Third, Ukraine must have robust and legally binding security guarantees in place once a ceasefire enters into force, building on commitments made in Berlin in December 2025 and Paris in January 2026. This includes the deployment of the Multinational Force – Ukraine. Fourth, Russian assets will remain immobilised until Russia ceases its war of aggression and compensates Ukraine for the damage caused by the war. Fifth, that European security interests must be safeguarded in any deal.  Elements of any negotiation related to the EU and NATO would need the consent of the EU and its Member States and NATO Allies respectively. Leaders commended President Zelenskyy’s call for an end to the war, negotiated by diplomatic means, as set out in his letter to the President of the Russian Federation of 4 June 2026. They supported the proposal for a direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia - with active US and European participation - to bring about a ceasefire and support further negotiations. They confirmed they would continue to stand firmly with Ukraine.