Britain said on Monday there were several possible proposals on the table for a possible Ukraine ceasefire, after France floated a proposal for a month-long initial truce that could pave the way for peace talks.
European countries, led by Britain and France, are looking at options for a peace proposal including Ukraine after last week’s Oval Office rupture between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“There are clearly a number of options on the table,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman said. “I’m just not getting into a running commentary on the options.”
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, when asked about the weekend activities of Europe rallying around Zelenskiy, told reporters: “So, we welcome Europe stepping up for Europe, but they have to also invest in the capabilities to do so.”
France, Britain and potentially other European countries have offered to send troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, but say they would want support from the U.S., a proposal referred to as a “backstop”.
Zelenskiy says a ceasefire must come with explicit security guarantees from the West to ensure Russia, which invaded Ukraine three years ago and holds about 20% of its territory, does not attack again. Trump has refused to give any such guarantees.
Starmer hosted a summit of European leaders in London on Sunday and said European leaders had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to present to the United States.
In an interview given on his way to the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the possibility of a one-month ceasefire, although so far there has been no public endorsement from other allies.
“Such a truce on air, sea and energy infrastructure would allow us to determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is acting in good faith when he commits to a truce,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said of Macron’s proposal.
“And that’s when real peace negotiations could start.”
European ground troops would only be deployed to Ukraine in a second phase, Macron said in the interview published in Le Figaro.
Zelenskiy, asked if he was aware of the plan mentioned by Macron, told reporters in London: “I’m aware of everything.”
European countries are adjusting to what some leaders describe as the biggest policy reversal since World War Two from Washington, especially after Friday’s bust-up when Zelenskiy left the White House abruptly after a dressing down in front of cameras by Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Source: Reuters
--Agencies
