European leaders have issued a joint statement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stressing the need to ensure Ukraine’s “maximum strength before, during, and after any ceasefire.” Believing that Vladimir Putin has no intention of ending the war, they emphasized the importance of increasing pressure on Russia. The leaders said that any peace negotiations should be based on the current line of contact between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

“We are united in our pursuit of a just and lasting peace, which the people of Ukraine deserve,” the statement reads. The declaration was signed by the leaders of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Norway, Finland, and Denmark, as well as the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council.

The leaders also expressed support for President Donald Trump’s position that “military actions must stop immediately.” The proposed freezing of hostilities along the current front lines aligns with Zelensky’s stance: he has repeatedly stated, including after his meeting with Trump on Friday, that the first step must be a ceasefire, after which territorial issues could be discussed.

At the same time, Zelensky firmly refused to concede Donbas to Putin. The Kremlin leader reportedly reiterated this demand during talks with Trump. However, compared to his stance at the August summit in Alaska, Putin has slightly shifted his position, suggesting Ukraine hand over smaller parts of the occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions instead.

European leaders have backed Zelensky’s refusal, declaring:“We remain committed to the principle that international borders cannot be changed by force.”