European leaders have gathered for an emergency meeting in Paris to reinforce support for Ukraine, as talks about how to end Russia’s war ramp up.
Meanwhile, American and Russian officials are due to hold peace talks in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, leaving Ukraine out of the high-level discussions.
The Trump administration has signalled it will not support some of Ukraine’s war-ending conditions, which include eventual NATO membership and restoring control of Crimea, a peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
War
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 22 February 2022.
It now controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Around 12,500 civilians are estimated to have been killed in Ukraine during the war, according to the latest UN data. Neither side publishes data on soldier deaths and injuries.
Over the past year, there has been little movement on the frontlines, except for a Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory on the northern border.
Trump
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump held separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
It marked the first official contact between a U.S. President and Putin since the war began.
The calls followed an announcement from newly-appointed U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, confirming the Trump administration would not support Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership.
On Friday (local time), U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with Zelenskyy at a conference in Munich, Germany.
Vance said America’s goal was to achieve a “durable, lasting peace” between the two countries.
Zelenskyy said he wanted “real security guarantees” from the U.S.
On Saturday, a U.S. official at the conference suggested European leaders wouldn’t play an active role in settling the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
European meeting
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France’s President Emmanuel Macron called an emergency meeting of European leaders following the Munich conference.
The “consultation talks” were held in Paris earlier today.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on social media saying the leaders had “reaffirmed that Ukraine deserves peace through strength.”
Macron said he spoke with Trump and Zelenskyy following the meeting.
The French President said all three leaders “seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
“We will work on this together with all Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians. This is the key.”
US and Russia
Meanwhile, U.S. and Russian foreign affairs officials are set to meet today in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
It follows a call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov earlier this week.
The pair discussed efforts towards “finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian officials will not be in attendance in Riyadh.
Zelenskyy told Ukrainian media that he was unaware of the details of the Russia-U.S. meeting.
He reiterated Ukraine would not accept “any agreements about us without us.”
On social media, Zelenskyy restated his position on “ensuring a robust and lasting peace.”
“Any other decision without such guarantees – such as a fragile ceasefire – would only serve as another deception by Russia and a prelude to a new Russian war against Ukraine or other European nations.”
