On Friday 5 June, European External Action Service spokesperson Anitta Hipper welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s letter calling for direct talks with Russia and a ceasefire.
“This is yet another call to Russia to end its illegal war of aggression. And from the Ukrainian side, as per usual, this is another demonstration of Ukraine’s pursuit of genuine negotiations and unconditional ceasefire. An unconditional ceasefire that Ukraine has accepted long time ago”, they explained. They also added: “Ukraine wants peace, Europe wants peace”.
The Ukrainian President will travel to London on Sunday 7 June to meet the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, to discuss continued support for Ukraine and increased pressure on the Russian war effort. They will also discuss the work being done to promote a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and on the European continent, in particular within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing, which will meet on 13 and 14 July in Paris.
Mr Zelensky’s proposal comes at a time when Russia is carrying out large-scale strikes on Ukraine and incidents involving drones are multiplying on European territory. On Friday morning, a drone exploded over the port of Constanta in Romania. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was a naval drone that had lost control due to Russian jamming.
Ms Hipper pointed out that this incident was a direct result of Russia’s war, and that Russia “bears full responsibility for escalating measures that have an impact on Member States”.
On X, the President of the European Council, António Costa, pointed out that this was the third major security incident in Romania in recent weeks. He condemned the repeated violations of Member States' airspace and reaffirmed the EU’s unwavering commitment to the security of all its Member States.
See Mr Zelensky’s letter: https://aeur.eu/f/m7f (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)