UK, Germany, and France Support Peaceful Dialogue for Ukraine-Russia

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European partners to discuss ongoing support for Kyiv. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron were also in attendance.

Together, the three European leaders comprise the informal security alliance known as the E3, which serves as a primary source of international support for Ukraine. In a joint statement, they expanded their support for a proposal for direct dialogue between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the participation of the US and Europe, in an attempt to secure a ceasefire.

“The leaders praised President Zelenskyy’s call to end the war diplomatically, as outlined in his letter to the president,” the statement read, referring to an open letter written by Zelenskyy to Putin last week, proposing a face-to-face meeting. The Russian leader has ignored the proposal, stating that the offer did not appear sincere and that he sees “no point” in meeting Zelenskyy before a potential peace agreement is reached.

While meeting at Downing Street, Zelenskyy informed Starmer that Kyiv requires additional missiles for air defence systems. “I informed Keir of the need for additional missiles for air defence systems and things that are essential to protect energy infrastructure and prepare for winter,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on X.

Following the discussions on Sunday (7/6), Starmer, Merz, and Macron reaffirmed that Europe plays a key role in any conflict resolution as strong supporters of Kyiv. The UK and France are leading the “Coalition of the Willing” initiative to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of the peace process, while Germany provides the largest absolute amount of support to Kyiv.

Prior to the talks, a Russian drone struck a decommissioned nuclear fuel storage facility near the former Chernobyl plant, according to Ukrainian officials. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated it had been informed of the attack and that radiation levels at the site remained stable. The facility is located approximately 15 kilometres from the Chernobyl plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

Kyiv’s General Staff and the national atomic energy agency issued separate statements regarding the incident, noting that a container receiving building was partially destroyed. They clarified that the facility was not storing spent fuel at the time of the attack. The fire resulting from the strike was successfully extinguished, and no casualties were reported. The IAEA stated a team would soon visit the site to assess the impact.

President Zelenskyy described the strike as a “very heinous Russian attack.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha added that Russian nuclear blackmail and threats to nuclear safety are systematic and unacceptable. This follows a February 2025 incident where a Russian drone reportedly struck the protective dome over the damaged Chernobyl reactor.

In a separate development, Moscow-backed officials reported that a Ukrainian drone strike on a passenger train killed one driver and injured another on the Moscow–Simferopol route, though no passengers were harmed.