Ukraine and European leaders agreed on Saturday to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire on May 12 with the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, threatening President Vladimir Putin with new “massive” sanctions if he failed to comply.
The announcement was made by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine after a meeting in Kyiv, after which they held a phone call with Trump. The U.S. leader, who wants a rapid peace, has not commented publicly on the course of action.
“So all of us here together with the U.S. are calling Putin out. If he is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters at a news conference. “No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays.”
Following through on the threat would be a dramatic sign of growing Western unity after months of unpredictable U.S. policy that has seen Trump tear up the approach of his predecessor since entering the White House in January.
After engaging directly with Russian officials, clashing publicly with Zelenskiy and briefly cutting vital military aid to Ukraine, the Trump administration has patched up ties with Kyiv and signed an arduously-negotiated mineral resources deal.
There has also been a palpable shift in tone from Trump, who has signaled growing frustration with what Washington views as Putin’s foot-dragging over a ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters at the news conference after their talks that he and the visiting leaders “agreed on Monday, May 12 there must start an unconditional ceasefire.”
He added that it should cover air, sea and land, and said that if Moscow refused, it would face new sanctions, including the strengthening of punitive measures targeting its energy and banking sectors.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Friday that Russia supported the implementation of a 30-day ceasefire, but only with due consideration of “nuances.”
In remarks to ABC that were aired on Saturday, Peskov suggested that Western military assistance for Ukraine would have to stop in order for a temporary ceasefire to happen. “Otherwise it will be an advantage for Ukraine,” he said.
Western military aid has been vital for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Trump phone call
In Kyiv, the leaders said they held a phone call with Trump after their talks. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted a photograph on X of the five men huddled around a table with a phone on the desk.
Macron said, provided the ceasefire was to go ahead, it would be monitored mainly by the United States and European countries would contribute. He added there would be “massive” sanctions if Russia did not agree.
Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president who serves as a senior security official, derided the idea of giving Russia an option between being sanctioned or giving Ukrainian forces an opportunity to rebuild.
“Shove these peace plans up your pangender arses!” he wrote on X.
The European leaders said the terms of a peace deal would be negotiated during the 30-day pause in fighting.
Zelenskiy said: “We have no illusions that the ceasefire will be breached.”
On the eve of the summit, the U.S. embassy in Kyiv warned of a “potentially significant” air attack in the coming days and told its citizens to be ready to seek shelter in the event of air raid sirens.
As the European leaders pulled into Kyiv by train earlier on Saturday, the screen on the platform announced the arrival of the “Bravery Express”. Zelenskiy accompanied them as they paid their respects at a memorial in central Kyiv to honor Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war.
The visit falls on the final day of a May 8-10 ceasefire declared by Putin that Ukraine did not accept, denouncing it as a sham. Both sides have accused each other of violating it.
Reuters journalists at a field hospital near the front line in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region observed soldiers being brought in with combat injuries sustained since the Russian ceasefire began.
“There hasn’t been any ceasefire, shelling has continued just as before, drones are flying just like before, the same with explosives being dropped. Nothing has changed at all,” said a wounded soldier who gave his name as Stanislav.