British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared after an emergency summit held at Downing Street on Sunday night that there is an “urgent need” to increase the production of defense weapons against Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missiles.
elchi reports that at the summit, which was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the leaders called on Vladimir Putin to accept an “immediate and full ceasefire” and stated that the “existing contact line” between the parties should be the starting point for any negotiations. Speaking before the meeting, Zelenskyy stated that if the war continues, his country could resume attacks deep within Russian territory, emphasizing that Ukraine “will not die in silence.” The increasing pressure on Russia comes after a series of military setbacks for Moscow in recent months. However, as an indicator of the devastation caused by the conflict in Ukraine, it is noteworthy that the summit took place just hours after a drone attack on a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Five conditions for peace from the leaders
After the meeting, the leaders announced that military support for Ukraine would be increased and economic pressure on Russia would be strengthened.
In a joint statement by Starmer, Zelenskyy, Macron, and Merz, Russia’s “Oreshnik” missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, which caused civilian deaths, and dangerous drone incursions targeting NATO territory were condemned.
The statement noted the necessity of expanding the production of air defense missiles, jointly developing anti-ballistic missile and deep-strike capabilities, and supporting the future resilience of the Ukrainian armed forces.
The three European leaders listed five conditions that Russia must fulfill in any peace agreement:
Russia must agree to an immediate and full ceasefire.
The current contact line must be the starting point for negotiations.
Strong guarantees must be provided for Ukraine’s security.
Russian assets must remain frozen until war reparations are paid to Ukraine. Europe must have a say in any agreement.
Zelenskyy posted on his social media account that the main goal of the meeting was broader cooperation and diplomatic perspectives for the security of all of Europe in the field of air defense. He added that “Europe must be part of the negotiations and remain strong.”
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