Ukraine War: European and Ukraine present Putin Waffenruhe-Ultimatum

With the support of the United States, the four most important European allies in Ukraine have started a larger diplomatic initiative for the first time to end the Russian attack war. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, the British Prime Minister Keir Strandmer and the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk traveled to Kiev to ultimately ask Russia to an unconditional ceasefire.

It should start on Monday, last at least 30 days and aim for serious peace negotiations. Should Russia refuse, the Europeans want to prove the country with finance and energy rates and extend the arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Moscow rejected the advance in a first reaction. You could put your peace plans “in the butt”, wrote the vice chief of the Russian National Security Council, Dmitri Medvedev, in English on the platform X.

Merz: greatest diplomatic initiative in a long time

“It must be clear: If Russia refuses to do this ceasefire, a ceasefire that can be the basis for immediately starting negotiations, then we will continue to defend Ukraine and we will further increase the pressure on Russia,” said Merz (CDU). In ZDF, he added: “This is the greatest diplomatic initiative that has existed in the past few months when it has not been years to end the war in Ukraine.”

Together with Macron and Strandmer, Merz had traveled to the summit with the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj in his capital. After a video count with the “coalition of the willing” – an alliance to support Ukraine, which the United States does not belong – the top politicians were on the phone with US President Donald Trump.

“We know that the United States supports us,” said Selenskyj. His Chancellor Andrij Jermak spread a photo of the group and wrote of “historical moments”. Merz also referred to the unity of the allies. Trump had recently confirmed his demand for a ceasefire and otherwise threatened with new sanctions against Russia. For the first time since he took office, the United States and Europe seem to act together and coordinated in the efforts to end the war together.

Merz sees “a little chance”

Putin must know that he could not divide the West apart, said Merz, who had phoned Trump last Thursday. From the United States, which had guided peace talks with Russia past Europe and sometimes also Ukraine in recent weeks, there was initially no response to the summit in Kiev.

Details on possible new sanctions remained open on Saturday. Selenskyj said the tightened measures should affect the energy sector and the banking system. So far, Moscow has always provided conditions for a longer ceasefire – in particular the stop of western arms deliveries to Ukraine.

“This war has to stop. And I think there is now a little chance. But there is this chance,” said Merz in the ARD. Putin must understand that he could not win the Ukraine war with military means, the Chancellor also told NTV. “We may approach this point.”

Merz was open to a phone call with Putin. “This is an option, of course.” However, he would only do this in coordination with the European partners and the USA. “Then everyone will know about it – before and after.”

“Free world really united”

Merz ‘Polish counterpart Tusk said: “For the first time in a long time, we have the feeling that the entire open world is really united”. The idea of ​​a ceasefire from Monday and the immediate admission of peace talks will be carried together by Trump, Ukraine and the entire coalition of the countries that the country supported in its struggle for territorial integrity, independence and freedom.

France’s President Macron also promised robust security guarantees for Ukraine. “We were just able to talk to all heads of state and government that we joined the” coalition of the willing “.” Great Britain’s prime minister emphasized that it was now to Putin that he was only mine with the peace efforts.

Russia calls conditions for ceasefire

Before the Ultimatum from Kiev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow emphasized that an end to western arms deliveries was a condition for a ceasefire. “Otherwise there will be an advantage for Ukraine,” said Peskow in the interview of the US broadcaster ABC. Ukraine would use a ceasefire to continue their “total mobilization” and bring new troops to the front to train new staff and give the current fighters a breathing space, said Peskow.

“Why should we give Ukraine such an advantage?” Peskow asked the US journalist. Russia itself is progressing on his offensive in Ukraine and has the initiative, he emphasized.

Both warring parties always accuse each other not to have any real interest in the end of the fighting. Currently, a three -day ceasefire on the occasion of the anniversary of the end of World War II applies until midnight (11:00 p.m. CEST). Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violations of the fire break.

Sanctions against Russia are increasingly tightened

Russia will not be intimidated by threats of sanctions and has got used to the punitive measures anyway, Peskow told state television in Moscow. “We even imagine what we do after the imposition of these sanctions, how we will minimize your consequences,” said Peskow. “To scare us with sanctions is in vain.”

The EU and the United States have already occupied Russia with numerous sanctions in order to take the basis for the continuation of the war of aggression against Ukraine to the country economically. Western experts also certify the Russian economy that is not expected. The many economic problems are unmistakable because there is a lack of simple access to western technology. However, the large-scale raw material power continues to take billions from oil and gas sale. The money in turn keeps the war economy going.

Ukraine has been fighting against a Russian invasion with western support for more than three years.