Ukraine and Western allies meet in Kyiv, push Russia for 30-day ceasefire

CGTN Europe

Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and Poland have demanded a 30-day unconditional ceasefire by May 12 from Russia.  They say Putin must accept the demand or they will send more weapons to Ukraine, and face increased sanctions on Russia.  It’s the first joint visit by Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Donald Tusk to Ukraine.  The European leaders, together with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy spoke on the phone with US President Donald Trump.  “All of us here, together with the US, are calling Putin out. If he’s serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it now,” UK’s PM Keir Starmer said at a press conference afterwards.  But if Russia refuses, reports say the West could hit back with more sanctions.  The Kremlin says the ceasefire depends on a certain condition — Ukraine’s allies must stop sending weapons.  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded and said the European countries' statements are 'confrontational'.  #Russia #Ukraine #RussiaUkraine

Transcript

00:00Ukraine and European leaders have agreed to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire from Monday with the backing of Donald Trump.

00:08The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland are in Kiev for talks with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

00:14and they held a joint phone call with the US President.

00:17In an announcement after the talks, they said that Russia would face new sanctions if it failed to comply with the truce.

00:24Our correspondent Stuart Smith has more from Kiev.

00:26Well, it's the first time really since US President Joe Biden left office that the European and US position is aligned with Kiev,

00:36leaving effectively just Russia to respond to this suggestion now of a ceasefire beginning on May 12th for 30 days.

00:44The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking here earlier in Kiev, said that if that isn't adhered to,

00:50if Russia doesn't agree, particularly with the unconditional part,

00:54then the United States and the UK have agreed to increase weapons supplies and other military supplies to Kiev.

01:01Here's the French President Emmanuel Macron outlining the details of this agreement earlier.

01:06There are no preconditions for the ceasefire, neither from the Ukrainians nor the Russians.

01:14It's intended to last 30 days on land, in the air and at sea,

01:18with surveillance ensured mainly by the United States of America and to which all Europeans who are ready will contribute.

01:25Now, Ukraine hopes that 30-day ceasefire would then pave the way for further long-term peace talks with Russia,

01:31something Moscow's said it's interested in, but Kiev is still sceptical that Russia really does want an end to this war.

01:38And also, the US Embassy here in Kiev is warning that there is a high likelihood of significant air attacks

01:46that may occur any time over the next several days.

01:50Stuart Smith in Kiev.

01:51Meanwhile, the Kremlin says that any potential ceasefire would need to include a halt to US and European arms supplies to Ukraine.

02:00Our correspondent Dasha Chernyshova reports from Moscow.

02:04The Kremlin is citing the dynamics on the ground, suggesting that they are in favour of the Russian armed forces

02:09and saying that any halt in the fighting would allow the Ukrainian side,

02:15which would still receive the weapons from the United States and the European Union,

02:19to have a respite, first of all, for the troops that are already fighting,

02:24and secondly, to conduct another mobilisation and train other forces that would continue the fighting

02:30after those 30 days are over.

02:32That's what the Kremlin is saying and cited as a reason for not taking this opportunity of a 30-day ceasefire.

02:39Moscow is also saying that Ukraine is trying to escape the negotiations

02:43and is not ready for the substantial talks on the Ukrainian settlement,

02:48while Moscow says the Russian side and President Vladimir Putin is doing everything possible,

02:54according to the Kremlin, to find a negotiated settlement.

02:57But having no diplomatic means at hand, Moscow says it continues its military operation by the military means.

03:04But at the same time, the hope in Moscow is that the US will try and make sure that its influence is sufficient

03:11to find the will on the Ukrainian side, as well as wisdom, to reach the negotiated settlement.

03:18And Dasha, there's already a three-day ceasefire in place.

03:21Is that holding? And what is Moscow's position on that?

03:24Well, Moscow has said that that three-day ceasefire that began on the 8th of May

03:30and will last till the midnight of May 10 is something that is needed to celebrate Victory Day,

03:37something that is so important for Moscow.

03:40We're also hearing that there have been numerous violations.

03:43Russian Ministry of Defence suggesting that Ukraine has violated this ceasefire that Moscow proposed

03:49and says it's observing more than 9,000 times.

03:52And Moscow also says there were four attempts by the Ukrainian armed forces

03:56to breach the Russian border in the Kursk and Belgrade region.

03:59Meanwhile, we understand that Moscow is responding in equal manner to all of those attacks.

04:04But also keep in mind that Moscow has suggested that this ceasefire will show Ukraine's readiness

04:09for those talks to continue.

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