Zelensky in London, Demands Russia Ends the War

The leaders of France, Germany,  Great Britain, and Ukraine met in London on Sunday, June 7th—calling on Russian president Vladimir Putin to impose a ceasefire immediately and start negotiations to end the war.  

The close European allies of Volodymyr Zelensky published five conditions for a “just and lasting” peace deal. Critics suggest that the combination of demands—which include Moscow paying reparations to Kyiv—already make this a non-starter.

Along with five prerequisites for a “just and lasting peace,” the allies insist that the U.S. and Europe should be “actively” involved in the talks. Prior to this event, Zelensky published an open letter to Putin calling for face-to-face negotiations in a neutral third country, while conducting long-range drone attacks deep into Russia itself.

For what it’s worth, the five demands are:

• An end to hostilities (Russia’s “immediate and complete ceasefire”).
• International borders must not be changed by force and Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements and alliances must be respected “without restriction.”
• Ukraine must receive “robust and legally binding” security guarantees as soon as a ceasefire comes into effect. This includes the deployment of a multinational force.
• Russian assets will remain frozen until the war ends and Ukraine is compensated for the damage caused by the war.
• European security interests must be protected in every agreement, meaning negotiation outcomes affecting the European Union and NATO must be approved by all member states.

Despite (or perhaps because of) domestic political pressure, President Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer (‘the E3’) are presenting themselves not as mediators in the conflict, but as allies of Kyiv (‘the E3-Ukraine format’). With U.S. foreign policy focused elsewhere, German government sources claim that 

A window is slowly opening for talks between the European side and Russia.

The actual ‘coalition of the willing’ (remember that?) is scheduled to meet later this year.