Key Takeaways
- European countries push for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine to become permanent.
- German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius leads the initiative for a 30-day ceasefire.
- A 30-day ceasefire could lead to a permanent ceasefire, improving relations between Ukraine and Russia.
Kyiv: The defence ministers of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Poland welcome the idea of a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and want it to be used to establish a permanent ceasefire, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.
“We welcome it if it comes to a ceasefire for a month. That would be important. However, we want these 30 days to be used to make a long-term ceasefire possible,” Pistorius said at a joint press conference on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, a meeting between the US and Ukrainian delegations took place in Saudi Arabia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office published a joint statement following the talks, according to which Kiev is ready for the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, with the possibility of extending it by mutual agreement. The document also said that the US would immediately resume aid to Ukraine and lift the pause in intelligence sharing.
US President Donald Trump later expressed hope that Russia would agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Trump also said that he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week to discuss the issue.
