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France President Macron to accompany Ukraine's Zelensky for US talks on Russia war
France and other EU backers of Ukraine — the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ — have said they would play an active role in negotiations
President Emmanuel Macron of France will go to Washington with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday for talks with Donald Trump, just days after the US president met Russia's Vladimir Putin in a bid to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also played hosts for the France-led ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meet on Sunday, where European allies got together over video call to speak in light of the Trump-Putin meet in Alaska on Friday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined the call and praised Trump's efforts, Reuters reported. He said the US President had “brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine”. He reiterated Europe’s “unwavering" support for Ukraine.
“While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelensky,” Starmer said in a statement issued by his office later.
He added that Putin must stop “his barbaric assault”. "We will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people,” Starmer said.
On Saturday, too, a joint statement with Macron, Merz, Starmer and other European Union (EU) leaders welcomed Trump’s meeting with Putin that ended without any ceasefire agreement for now.
“As President Trump said ‘there’s no deal until there’s a deal’. As envisioned by President Trump, the next step must now be further talks including President Zelensky, whom he will meet soon," it said.
“The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role," the statement added.
It stressed, “No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine‘s pathway to EU and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.”
The statement came when some media reports indicated that Putin expects Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas region, parts of which Russia has attempted to occupy during the conflict. ‘The Financial Times’ reported that the Russian President told Trump he would “freeze the conflict” if his demands were met.
Zelensky, however, has said he won't agree to giving away any territory or “land swap” as suggested by Trump.
(with inputs from AFP and Reuters)
