European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a joint statement that endorses U.S. President Donald Trump’s stance on resolving the conflict in Ukraine and urges stronger economic pressure on Russia.
The UK Government published the text of the declaration on its official website.
“We are united in our desire to achieve a just and lasting peace, which the people of Ukraine deserve. We firmly support President Trump’s position that hostilities must cease immediately and that the current front line should serve as the starting point for negotiations,” the statement says.
European leaders pledged to intensify pressure on Russia’s economy and defense industry and announced plans to develop mechanisms that will use frozen Russian sovereign assets to help Ukraine obtain the resources it needs for reconstruction and defense.
The document notes that additional support measures for Kyiv will be discussed during the upcoming European Council meeting and within the “coalition of the willing,” both scheduled for later this week.
The statement followed a phone conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on October 16, after which the two leaders announced plans to meet in Budapest. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán confirmed that preparations for the summit are underway.
According to Politico, several European leaders seek participation in the upcoming Trump–Putin meeting, fearing that the U.S. president may favor Moscow’s position and pressure Zelensky to accept terms imposed by Russia as part of a potential peace deal.