US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (3rdL), French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot (2ndR), UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy (3rdR) and German Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gunter Sautter (4thL) take part in a meeting at the Quai d’Orsay, France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs before a bilateral meeting in Paris on April 17, 2025. (Photo by Julien De Rosa / Pool / AFP) The UK will host key European ministers in London on Monday, May 12, for “critical” talks focused on “repelling Russian aggression” and strengthening Europe’s security. Foreign Secretary David Lammy will welcome officials from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the European Union for a meeting of the “Weimar+” group, created earlier this year in response to changing US policy on the Ukraine war under President Donald Trump. The gathering follows a Saturday visit to Kyiv by leaders from France, Germany, Poland, and the UK. During that trip, they called on the Kremlin to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire to pave the way for peace talks. On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to hold direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, but he did not respond to the call for a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said initially that Kyiv would join the talks only if there is a ceasefire, but later, in multiple evening updates, said he would go regardless “And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” he said in one update. “Starting tomorrow, we await a ceasefire – this proposal is on the table. A full and unconditional ceasefire, one that lasts long enough to provide a necessary foundation for diplomacy, could significantly bring peace closer,” he said in another update. Source: www.kyivpost.com
UK to Host European Ministers for Ukraine Talks Amid Ceasefire Push
