Ukraine, Europe allies back peace talks based on current frontline
KIEV
European leaders issued a joint statement with Ukraine Tuesday backing U.S. President Donald Trump's call for peace talks to begin based on the current frontline with Russia.
Trump is seeking to broker a peace deal to end the three-and-a-half-year war, triggered by Russia's 2022 invasion. Last week, he called on Moscow and Kiev to stop the fighting "where they are" after talks with both sides.
"We strongly support President Trump's position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations," said a statement signed by Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, EU chiefs Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Britain's Keir Starmer and Italy's Giorgia Meloni.
"We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force," said the leaders, who also included those of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Poland.
EU leaders are set to close ranks in support of Ukraine at a Brussels summit on Thursday -- followed a day later by a "coalition of the willing" meeting of European leaders in London to discuss the next steps to help Kiev.
Trump has announced his intention to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest in coming weeks, but it was not clear whether Zelensky -- who was shut out from the previous meeting in August in Alaska -- would attend.
"We are clear that Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position -- before, during, and after any ceasefire," the leaders on Tuesday said.
"We must ramp up the pressure on Russia's economy and its defence industry, until Putin is ready to make peace," they added.
The European Union is considering a new 140-billion-euro ($163-billion) loan for Ukraine funded by frozen Russian central bank assets, which will be discussed at Thursday's summit in Brussels.
Officials are hoping they will give a greenlight for a more detailed legal proposal to be drawn up.
