Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Downing Street on Sunday evening for talks on the war in Ukraine. The leaders called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to an immediate and complete ceasefire, with the current line of contact as a starting point for negotiations, according to Downing Street.
Condemnation of Russian Attacks
The leaders condemned Russia's large-scale missile and drone attacks, including the repeated use of Oreshnik missiles, which have caused a tragic toll on civilians. They also denounced irresponsible and dangerous Russian drone incursions into NATO territory and expressed condolences to all victims.
Coordination of Support
Discussions focused on coordinating further support for Ukraine at upcoming international meetings, including the G7 summit in Evian, the next meeting of the coalition of the willing, and the NATO summit in Ankara. The leaders emphasized the urgent need to scale up production of interceptors, co-develop anti-ballistic missile and deep-strike capabilities, and support the future sustainability of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Russia has intensified its aerial campaign against Ukraine, recently launching another Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile. Ukraine's shortage of air defense systems, partly due to depleted US stocks from the Iran war, has left civilians vulnerable to ballistic missiles, though most drones are intercepted.
Strike Near Chernobyl
The meeting occurred on the same day a Russian drone strike damaged a storage center for spent nuclear fuel nine miles from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The attack sparked a fire that was extinguished within an hour, and radiation levels remain safe, officials said.
Zelensky's Response
In a social media post, Zelensky stated the focus of the talks would be defense in the war, greater cooperation for European security in air defense, and diplomatic prospects. He stressed that Europe must be part of negotiations and must be strong. Following a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on St. Petersburg on Saturday, Zelensky told Sky News, "We will not just silently die. We will respond. We will be stronger and stronger each day." He described the strike near Chernobyl as "extremely vile" and evidence of Russia's brazenness.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi called the incident deeply concerning due to the large amounts of nuclear material at the facility. On Friday, Putin rejected a proposal from Zelensky for face-to-face talks, claiming he saw no point in a meeting. The UK and France lead the coalition of the willing initiative to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace process.
