European leaders agreed with Trump about Cease fire between Russia & Ukraine

Irfan Bhatti

European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have been discussing a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine with US President Donald Trump. Here's what's been happening¹ ²:  - *Ceasefire Proposal*: European leaders have urged a ceasefire in Ukraine, emphasizing Ukraine's participation in negotiations and warning of increased pressure if Russia doesn't show flexibility. They want negotiations to proceed with a ceasefire at the outset.  - *Terms of the Ceasefire*: The proposed ceasefire would be unconditional, lasting for at least 30 days, and would cover land, air, and sea. This would create space for talks on a just and lasting peace.  - *Reaction from Russia*: The Kremlin has dismissed the demands, calling European leaders' statements "confrontational" and emphasizing that arms deliveries from Ukraine's allies must stop for Russia to agree to a ceasefire.  - *Support from Trump*: US President Donald Trump has expressed support for the ceasefire proposal, warning that if it's not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions on Russia.  - *Sanctions Threat*: European leaders have threatened Russia with "massive" sanctions if it doesn't comply with the ceasefire, targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, including banking, energy, and oil transport.   It's worth noting that there was a recent meeting in Kyiv where European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, discussed the ceasefire plan with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.³

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00:00European leaders said on Wednesday that they had hammered out a strategy with President Trump for

00:12his scheduled meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Friday in Alaska to discuss

00:18ending the war in Ukraine, including an insistence that any peace plan must start with a ceasefire

00:23and not be negotiated without Ukraine at the table. The transatlantic talks on Wednesday were

00:29a last-minute attempt by European leaders to unite behind Mr. Trump prior to the meeting on Friday.

00:35They arrived via video call that was arranged by Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz. It contained

00:41Mr. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and several other

00:47European leaders with strong relationships with Mr. Trump, including Prime Minister Georgia Meloni of

00:53Italy. Mr. President, we had a truly excellent and extremely constructive conversation. Merz told

01:00reporters in brief remarks. There is hope for movement, there is hope for peace in Ukraine,

01:06he added. Mr. Trump is known for being erratic, even when it comes to the Ukraine issue. His European

01:13allies have believed that they were successfully luring him into adopting their strategies at various

01:18points in recent weeks, but Mr. Putin's overtures, as he did in agreeing to the hastily scheduled

01:24bilateral meeting. After the meeting though, Mr. Trump appeared content with his allies. He told

01:31reporters after an event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, we had a very good call. I'd give it a

01:3710. Very friendly. Mr. Trump said he would call Mr. Zelensky, at the time European leaders,

01:44following the meeting in Alaska. He stated that if that meeting went well, he would like to meet

01:50with Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky together. He stated that Russia would suffer very severe consequences

01:57if Mr. After the meeting on Friday, Putin does not agree to put an end to the war. When he was asked if

02:04he thought he could persuade Mr. Putin on Friday to stop targeting Ukrainian civilians, Mr. Trump replied,

02:10no. I've talked to him about that, Mr. Trump stated, I've had a lot of good conversations with him,

02:16and then I go home and see a rocket hit a nursing home, or a rocket hit an apartment building and

02:21people are laying dead in the streets. Both Mr. Mr. and Murs Zelensky told reporters that Mr.

02:28For the talks with Mr., Trump had agreed to five principles. Putin. They include keeping Ukraine,

02:35at the table, four follow-up meetings on the war and refusing to discuss peace terms,

02:40like swaps of land between Russia and Ukraine, before a ceasefire is put in place.

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