European leaders say Ukraine is at critical moment after Trump call

European leaders said “intense work” will continue in the coming days to implement a US-led plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war, following a joint phone call with President Donald Trump.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they “agreed that this is a critical moment for Ukraine, the Ukrainian people and the shared security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region”.

A White House official confirmed the call took place on Wednesday but gave no details.

Arrive the day after tomorrow Trump called European leaders “weak” and suggested the United States could reduce its support for Ukraine.

In a Politico interview published Tuesday, Trump also claimed Ukraine was “using war” to avoid holding an election, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky responded that he was “ready” to receive them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory.

On Wednesday, three European leaders issued the same statement shortly after their phone call with Trump.

They wrote: “The leaders discussed the latest developments in ongoing US-led peace negotiations, welcoming their efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and an end to the killings.

“Intense work on the peace plan continues and will continue in the coming days.”

The call lasted about 45 minutes and was initiated by the Americans last night.

Sources described progress as “increasingly concluding a deal” but stressed the complexity of reaching an agreement.

A key sticking point remains over Ukrainian territory and whether it is feasible or reasonable to expect Kyiv to actually give up land it sees as its own.

The British government has long stated that decisions about Ukraine must be made by Ukraine.

That’s the argument European governments are making to Washington, while publicly and privately praising Trump’s commitment to ending the war.

National security advisers from across Europe, including Britain’s Jonathan Powell, meet regularly with Ukrainian officials. Summaries of these and other conversations were then shared by allies with Washington.

The United States is expected to lead talks with Moscow once a potential deal is reached.

Earlier on Wednesday, Zelensky wrote on social media that a 20-point document on how to end the war would be handed over to the United States in the “near future” after “our joint efforts with President Trump’s team and European partners.”

Ukrainian leaders did not provide further details.

The original US draft peace plan – which was widely leaked to the media last month – had 28 points that were seen as favorable to Russia. Since then, Ukraine has held separate talks with U.S. and European negotiators to seek changes to some key terms such as territorial issues and security guarantees.

Zelensky faces growing pressure from Trump to agree to a peace deal to end the war, with the US president urging Kyiv to “cooperate” by ceding territory to Moscow.

Zelensky has repeatedly refused to do so, instead seeking an immediate ceasefire on a vast frontline and ironclad security guarantees for Kiev in any future settlement.

The Ukrainian leader is on a diplomatic tour of Europe after intensive weekend talks between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators failed to reach a deal that Kyiv could agree to.

Zelensky has been pressuring his European allies to help block U.S. support for a deal that could leave Ukraine open to future Russian attacks.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Trump’s “very important” statements on Ukraine, including that Moscow would win the war and that Kiev needed to hand over its land, were consistent with Russia’s views.

“In many respects, on issues such as NATO membership, territorial issues, how Ukraine lost its land, this is in line with our understanding,” Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

last week, Putin once again warned that Ukrainian troops must completely withdraw from Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region, otherwise Russia will occupy the region. Refuse to make any compromise on how to end the war.

Russian forces have continued their slow advance in southeastern Ukraine in recent weeks despite reports of heavy casualties in fighting.