Zelenskyj consults with partners – what role does Europe play?

The situation at a glance

Zelenskyj consults with partners – what role does Europe play?

Because the peace process for Ukraine is stalling, Zelensky is talking to his European allies. These must first ensure that Washington and Moscow take them seriously.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wants to discuss the faltering peace process with the heads of state and government from Germany, France and Great Britain today. “I have planned a conversation with the E3 (Europe 3) partners,” he said in a video message recorded in the town of Slavutych, north of Kiev.

“We will talk about how our joint pressure and our joint diplomatic work can have a real impact on the situation,” Zelensky said, without giving further details. He did not provide any information about the format of the conversation. Because he is in Ukraine, it will probably result in a video link with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Efforts to end the Russian war of aggression, which has lasted more than four years, have been on hold in recent weeks. The USA, which does not see itself primarily as an ally of Ukraine but rather as a mediator, has been distracted by the Iran war since the end of February.

Kiev’s European allies have so far been involved on the sidelines. But they are discussing which demands and which negotiators should be used to talk to Russia about ending the war. Moscow says it is willing to talk, but is not backing down from its maximum war goals.

Starting late Thursday evening, Russia and Ukraine began attacking each other again with drone attacks. The Ukrainian army once again launched a major attack on targets in the Russian hinterland. The Russian aviation authority Rosawiatsiya restricted air traffic at numerous airports, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Ukrainian Air Force detected Russian drones over the northeastern parts of Chernihiv and Sumy.

In Slavutych, Zelensky was almost on the border with Belarus. There he discussed with local representatives how to better protect the border region against possible attacks from the neighboring country. Russia wants to draw its close ally Belarus more heavily into the war, he warned.

Belarus will only take part in this war if it is itself attacked, said ruler Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, according to the state news agency Belta. He agreed to meet with Zelensky “anywhere, in Belarus, in Ukraine.” The presidential office in Kiev replied that there was nothing to discuss with Lukashenko.