European Leaders Visit Kyiv in Show of Support After Putin Parade

The leaders of Great Britain, France, Germany and Poland are heading to Kyiv on Saturday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a show of unity, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his allies for a Victory Day parade in Red Square. Acting President Ilie Bolojan is participating in the summit via videoconference.

At the summit, the U.S. and European proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war in Ukraine will be discussed. If Moscow refuses, new joint sanctions could follow, a French diplomatic source said, adding that the move has not yet been finalized. The visit by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk marks the first time the leaders of the four countries are traveling together to Ukraine, Reuters reported, as cited by News.ro.

“Together with the U.S., we call on Russia to accept a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to allow space for talks on a just and lasting peace,” the four European leaders stated in a joint declaration.

According to the Presidential Administration, acting President Ilie Bolojan will take part in the Kyiv summit via videoconference, starting at 10:30 AM. The visit comes at a diplomatically volatile moment in Russia’s more than three-year war against Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid peace, having rolled back his predecessor’s policies since taking office in January. After holding direct talks with Russian officials, clashing publicly with Zelensky, and temporarily halting vital military aid to Ukraine, the Trump administration has since repaired ties with Kyiv and signed a minerals agreement that required tough negotiations.

There has also been a noticeable shift in tone from Trump, who has shown growing frustration with Putin’s delays on a ceasefire and Russia’s repeated demands in peace negotiations. Trump has threatened tougher sanctions on Russia, but also said he may abandon peace efforts if no progress is made. On Thursday, he called for a 30-day ceasefire, and Zelensky said he was ready to implement it immediately.

On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying that Russia supports a 30-day ceasefire in the conflict, but only with careful consideration of its “nuances.”

That same day, President Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders at a military parade in Red Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II—sending a defiant message that Russia is not isolated.

Also on Friday, European ministers voiced support for the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute the Russian president and his officials for crimes of aggression, showing solidarity with Zelensky, who on Thursday denounced Putin’s event as a “parade of lies.”