UK hosts European ministers for Ukraine ceasefire talks

The United Kingdom on Monday hosted European ministers for “critical” talks on “repelling Russian aggression” after Ukraine’s allies demanded that Moscow accept a ceasefire.

Ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the EU joined Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London for a meeting of the so-called “Weimar+” group.

The coalition was set up in February in response to shifting US policy towards the war between Ukraine and Russia and European security in general, under President Donald Trump.

The meeting follows Saturday’s visit by the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the UK to Kyiv, where they called for Russia to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to allow for peace talks — a proposal they said was backed by Washington.

The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, renewed the calls for a ceasefire on Monday.

“If there is no ceasefire, there cannot be talks under fire,” she said in London, accusing Russia of “playing games.”

“It takes two to want peace. It takes only one to want war. And we see that Russia clearly wants war,” she added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 but did not respond to the European call for a 30-day ceasefire.

Lammy said it was time for “Putin to get serious about peace in Europe, to get serious about a ceasefire, and to get serious about talks.”

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had fired more than 100 drones overnight, despite the calls for a ceasefire to start on Monday.

“From 11:00 pm on May 11, the enemy attacked with 108 Shaheds and other types of drones,” the air force said, adding that “as of 08:30 am, 55 drones were confirmed downed”.

‘Existential’ challenge

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to meet Putin personally in Turkey but did not say whether he would still attend if Russia refused the European ceasefire proposal.

Trump said direct talks were needed to determine whether peace was possible.

Source: Punch