French President Emmanuel Macron said he and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had proposed a month-long ceasefire "in the air, on the seas and on energy infrastructure" to buy more time to de-escalate Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Macron said a limited ceasefire was needed, acknowledging that it would be "very difficult" to oversee a full ceasefire given the length of the front.
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, he hinted that any deployment of European troops on the ground would only come later, "not in the coming weeks," but after the two sides negotiate the details of the agreement.
"We want peace. But we don't want it at any cost, without guarantees," he said.
Macron also spoke of the need to relax EU fiscal rules to allow countries to spend more and use "innovative" financing methods for defense spending.
Macron proposed that EU countries aim to allocate between 3 percent and 3,5 percent of GDP to defense to meet current needs, well above the current NATO target of 2 percent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed "strong support for Ukraine and our people" after today's talks in London.
He wrote on social media accounts that European leaders are working together to create "a reliable foundation for cooperation with America for the purpose of real peace and guaranteed security."
Zelensky said that European unity is "at an exceptionally high level", not seen "for a very long time".
He expressed gratitude to "all our friends and partners" for their support.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Europe must find a way to continue supporting Ukraine, including additional military assistance "here and now" to continue the fight against Russia.
She stated that discussions on possible security guarantees are currently underway and will develop over the coming weeks.
Frederiksen said her government was maintaining an "open position" regarding the possible participation of Danish troops in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, but warned that it would not be possible to "guard every inch" of the ceasefire line and that additional guarantees would be needed.
In a post on social media, Frederiksen added that the leaders agreed on three key things: making Ukraine "as strong as possible" with additional arms supplies, further weakening the Russian economy through sanctions, and rearming European countries.
"European unity is strong. That makes me optimistic. We need it more than ever," she said.
"Around the table in London, we are all determined to take action for a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine and to ensure our collective security," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on his X.com account.
At the table in London, we are all determined to take action for a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine and to ensure our collective security. pic.twitter.com/jMGvD105Gi
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 2, 2025
Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni praised the talks on a "very delicate and complex" situation, stressing that for her the key goal was not to allow the West to be divided over the preferred approach to resolving the crisis.
She praised Zelensky for his "rational" approach, despite a stormy meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, and noted that he is looking for solutions to get out of this situation.
She stated that there is still no single and concrete plan for the deployment of troops, only ideas put forward by the UK and France, which still need further consideration. She confirmed that there are no plans to send Italian troops to Ukraine.
Meloni added that the focus is on finding a path to "lasting" peace, urging leaders to "think outside the box" about potential transatlantic solutions that would not necessarily include NATO membership.
She also expressed skepticism about the idea of a European nuclear umbrella, warning that it could lead to a "withdrawal" of the US from European security policy.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, commenting on the way Zelensky was treated during a meeting with the US administration.
"It's important to state the facts clearly every time. In 2014, Russia decided to invade Ukraine, occupy Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. That's why they were kicked out of the G7. And in 2022, they decided to violate the existing ceasefire and invade Ukraine again, with the intention of taking Kiev in three days and the entire country in three weeks. They failed," Trudeau said.
He added that Russia is still trying to conquer more Ukrainian territory.
"This war could end tomorrow if Russia decides to stop its illegal invasion of Ukraine. On Friday, in the Oval Office, President Zelensky made it clear that Vladimir Putin is a liar and a criminal who cannot be trusted, as he has repeatedly proven that he will break any agreement. I stand with Zelensky and I stand with the people of Ukraine," said the Canadian Prime Minister.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke of the need to propose a format in which Europe, Turkey and Canada could engage to draw up a "concrete plan for negotiations" with Russia.
"We all have the feeling right now that no one has a plan for this, and that sense of chaos and improvised approach... sometimes stirs up emotions, as we saw in that indecent spectacle in Washington a few days ago, which we would all rather avoid," he said.
He added that leaders must "calmly propose a systematic, common" position to shape future negotiations on behalf of allied countries.
He also said he hopes the unity of the leaders present will make an impression on Donald Trump and help him view some of Ukraine's demands more favorably.
Tusk also revealed that many leaders discussed their impressions of the Zelensky-Trump meeting, with some expressing "gloomy" views, but all insisting on the need for unity.
He also said the leaders did not discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, and warned again that any such statement would have to be strictly binding so as not to offer a "false illusion of security."
Tusk stressed that Poland has no intention of deploying troops in Ukraine.
He also revealed that there was "no unity" about seizing Russian assets in the West, because, although all leaders agreed that it was a good idea, some countries "fear the consequences, either for the euro or for the banking system."
"Poland is very strongly in favor of this, but let's be realistic, since we are not in the eurozone, our vote in this discussion will not be decisive," he said.
However, he insisted on the importance of extending EU sanctions against Russia when they expire, despite Hungary's threat of a veto.
Tusk also said that there is no doubt who is the aggressor and who is the victim, and that Europe has clearly taken the right side.
He confirmed that there was discussion about the need for European states to take greater responsibility for military financing and defense.
Speaking about the upcoming European Council summit, he expressed cautious optimism, hoping for a clear message to Putin that the West will not submit to blackmail and aggression.
"I hope European unity will influence Trump."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the allies' focus would be to ensure that Ukraine has a strong military when the war ends so it can defend itself against any future aggression.
"The basis of everything will be a strong army," Scholz told reporters after a meeting of European leaders in London.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new deal worth $5.000 billion, which would allow Ukraine to buy XNUMX anti-aircraft missiles using export financing.
Starmer told reporters after the meeting in London that he did not accept the claim that the United States under President Donald Trump is an unreliable ally.
When asked why he believes Russia would sign a peace treaty drawn up by Europe, without Moscow's participation, the British Prime Minister said:
"Of course Russia must be part of the deal, but it cannot dictate the terms. Otherwise we will not make any progress."
He warned that any agreement must be defended:
"We have seen ceasefires in the past without any security, and Russia has regularly violated them. We must avoid such a situation."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said some European leaders had privately set new plans for defense spending during a meeting in London.
He, according to Reuters, declined to provide further details, saying it was up to individual leaders to provide them.
"Today I heard new announcements at the table and I'm not going to tell you about them, because they should do that. But this was very good news that more European countries will increase defense spending," Rutte said.
Europe urgently needs to rearm, and member states must be given more fiscal space for a significant increase in defense spending, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a meeting on support for Ukraine.
London is hosting a key summit of European leaders to discuss protecting and supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian invasion.
Von der Leyen said that Europe also needs to show the United States that it is ready to defend democracy.
"After a long period of underinvestment, it is now of paramount importance that we significantly increase investment in defence over a longer period of time," she told reporters after a meeting in London, Reuters reported.
"Member states must have more fiscal space to allow for an increase in defense spending," she added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a summit in London today that world leaders must "show off" for security in Europe.
Starmer said Ukraine's victory over Russia was "vital to the security of nations both in Europe and around the world."
Earlier today, Starmer said that the UK, France and Ukraine had agreed to work together on a peace plan to present to the United States.
Today's summit takes place two days after failed negotiations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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