Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of a new contact group to end the conflict after a meeting with German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz in Kiev, the news and analysis site "European" reported truth".
Mertz has proposed creating a contact group of Germany, France, Poland and the United Kingdom and "thus developing a joint vision with the US". In response, Zelensky stated that Kyiv is already doing this. He stated that he expects Denmark to participate in this group and that the first meeting will take place already in December.
Later, the Ukrainian leader's spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov explained that Kiev is currently forming a list of key European partners who, together with the US, "are capable of ensuring the maximum strengthening of our state". They should form a common position for a diplomatic end to the conflict.
"The final list of participants is still being formed, but these are the countries that have long-range capabilities, the countries that make the largest investments in Ukrainian arms production, and the countries on which our future depends in NATO", explained Nikiforov.
He said that Kiev intends to hold a meeting of the partners in December, "to coordinate, to work out a common position" and to ensure that Ukraine will be strong "at any development of events - both in negotiations and on the battlefield".
Ukraine insists on the implementation of the "peace formula" of Zelensky, which, among other things, envisages a return to the 1991 borders. "The Peaceful Summit" is also based on this "formula". The first such meeting took place in mid-June in Switzerland. Russia was not invited to it. The date and location of the second summit have yet to be determined. Zelensky promised to invite Russia to the second "peace summit".
Moscow does not agree with the settlement of the conflict under these conditions. Russia also ruled out participating in the summit as it "has nothing to do with the settlement".
Newly elected US President Donald Trump said after his meeting with Zelensky in Paris that the Ukrainian leader wants to end the conflict with Russia. "I am developing a concept of how to end this ridiculous war," said Trump, who during his election campaign promised to end the conflict in 24 hours.
Zelensky ruled out the possibility of ending the conflict "with only a piece of paper and a few signatures". Effective peace with Moscow is only possible with "effective guarantees for peace", the Ukrainian president emphasized.
The Kremlin said that "in order to get on a peaceful trajectory", the Ukrainian president should lift the ban on talks and order the resumption of dialogue "based on the Istanbul agreements and taking into account the realities on the ground".
The conditions for an immediate cessation of hostilities were proposed by Vladimir Putin in June, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled.
These include the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as Ukraine's refusal to join NATO. Zelensky called them an ultimatum.