London, June 8 (IANS) The leaders of Britain, France and Germany, collectively known as the E3, have voiced support for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia aimed at achieving a ceasefire and advancing peace negotiations, following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement with Zelensky after the meeting on Sunday (local time), saying they backed direct Ukraine-Russia talks with the active participation of the United States and Europe.
The four leaders called for an immediate and complete ceasefire, saying the current line of contact should serve as the starting point for negotiations, reports Xinhua news agency.
According to the statement, Europe should play an important role in the peace process, with relevant efforts conducted in close coordination with Ukraine, European partners and the United States.
The leaders also discussed post-ceasefire security arrangements for Ukraine. The statement said European security interests should be safeguarded in any agreement and noted that matters relating to the European Union and NATO would require the consent of their respective members.
Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Zelensky can come to Moscow any time if he wishes to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This came in response to Zelensky’s open letter earlier in the day proposing a face-to-face meeting with Putin to discuss the peace process.
“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting,” Zelensky wrote in the letter, suggesting that Europe and the United States be involved.
He said it would be wrong to wait for the United States to refocus its attention on ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine while it currently focuses on its war with Iran.
Zelensky also called for setting a clear date for the meeting and said that Ukraine is prepared to implement a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations.
He noted that Switzerland, Turkey and some Arab countries have expressed readiness to host such talks.
–IANS
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