It is important to continue to put pressure on Russia to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoff said today, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
He added that during the videoconference meeting organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the participants reached a broad agreement on continuing support for Ukraine, both militarily and financially.
"Now it is important to continue to put pressure on Russia to sit at the negotiating table," said Schoff on the social network "Ex" after taking part in the meeting, together with the leaders of other Kiev allies, including Bulgaria.
The Dutch prime minister stressed that the proposals of the US and Ukraine for a ceasefire also give hope, adding that Europe will continue to work intensively on new sanctions against Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that clear pressure should be exerted on Russia together with the US, since, in his opinion, Moscow "does not give the impression that it sincerely wants peace". Macron said Russia was not responding to the US and Ukraine's offer of a month-long ceasefire and was stepping up hostilities.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to get everything and then negotiate", Macron added. "If we want peace, clear pressure must be put on Russia, together with the United States, to achieve this ceasefire," he added.
The French president thanked his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky "for having the courage to take a peace initiative" with US President Donald Trump and propose a month-long ceasefire.
"In order to have a lasting peace, we must help Ukraine resist, have a solid army to defend the country, and we must be ready to guarantee this peace," the French head of state added.
At the same time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Russia to finally work for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. "It is now up to Russia to end its daily attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure and finally embark on the path of a lasting and just peace," Scholz said.
He also stressed the leading role of US President Donald Trump in achieving an eventual ceasefire and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Sholz pledged that Germany would continue to support Kiev until this goal is achieved. Germany's likely future Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced yesterday that Berlin will allocate an additional 3 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine next week.