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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was successful London connected Monday (December 8, 2025) for talks with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and different ‘E3’ state heads — French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The gathering comes arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump said Mr. Zelenskyy had not work the latest mentation of a connection to extremity the Russia-Ukraine conflict, though his negotiators “love” the proposals.
The Trump medication had enactment unneurotic a 28-point bid program successful November and had held a bid of talks with the Russian and Ukrainian sides. European leaders and Mr. Zelenskyy had been acrophobic that the archetypal connection was precise overmuch successful Russia’s favour and included Ukraine ceding territory. Mr. Trump’s peculiar envoy, Steve Witkoff, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Mr. Zelenskyy’s representatives successful aboriginal December to modify the archetypal plan.
An authoritative acquainted with the negotiations told AFP connected Monday (December 8) that territory was inactive “the astir problematic issue” successful the talks to extremity the astir four-year-long conflict. “I’m sceptical astir immoderate of the details which we are seeing successful the documents coming from the U.S. side. That’s wherefore we are here,” Mr. Merz said, during opening remarks earlier the Downing Street meeting, arsenic helium reiterated European enactment for Ukraine.
Mr. Starmer insisted helium would not beryllium pushing Mr. Zelenskyy to judge the woody spearheaded by the Trump administration. “I won’t beryllium putting unit connected the President,” Mr. Starmer said. “The astir important happening is to guarantee that if determination is simply a cessation of hostilities, and I anticipation determination is, it has to beryllium conscionable and it has to beryllium lasting, which is what we volition beryllium focused connected this afternoon,” helium added. A U.K. authoritative told reporters that Mr. Starmer would “update President Zelenskyy connected our wider enactment today, including done the usage of the worth of immobilised Russian sovereign assets, which we anticipation to spot question connected soon”.
“There are immoderate things which we can’t negociate without Americans, things we can’t negociate without Europeans,” added Mr. Zelenskyy.
U.S. strategy
Monday’s (December 8) gathering besides comes successful the aftermath of the work of the U.S.’s nationalist information strategy, which has not gone down good with respective European governments. The Trump medication was “at likelihood with European officials who clasp unrealistic expectations for the warfare perched successful unstable number governments, galore of which trample connected basal principles of ideology to suppress opposition”, arsenic per the document. The strategy insubstantial besides said Europe lacked self-confidence successful its dealings with Russia.
“I deliberation we person a batch of cards successful our hands,” Mr. Macron said connected Monday (December 8) astatine Downing Street. He cited, among his reasons, the financing of arms to Ukraine and Ukraine’s absorption to Russia. The Russian system was besides suffering arsenic a effect of sanctions, Mr. Macron said.
The main contented that remained earlier a woody could beryllium finalised was a convergence betwixt the communal European and Ukrainian positions and the American position, according to Mr. Macron.
(With inputs from AFP)
