As stated by European leaders, decisions regarding possible territorial concessions can only be made by the Ukrainian people and only after solid security guarantees have been established.
European countries will establish these guarantees with the support of the US military mission that will also operate on the territory of Ukraine. The participants of the talks will also provide assurances to Ukraine “lasting and significant” support in maintaining the number of soldiers at 800,000.
The statement was issued by the presidents and heads of government of several European countries, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The document was also issued on behalf of:
- Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz,
- Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen,
- President of Finland Alexander Stubb,
- president of France Emmanuel Macron,
- Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni,
- Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof,
- Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Stoere,
- Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson,
- Prime Minister of Great Britain Keir Starmer,
- President of the European Council Antonio Costa,
- head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The declaration has an open formula and other countries may join it.
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What security guarantees have been established for Ukraine?
How many soldiers should Ukraine maintain in peacetime?
Who represented Poland at the summit in Berlin?
What issues remain controversial in the peace talks?
German Chancellor: today we are taking a step forward along the path of peace
“Before the military and the civilian population take any steps, they must have a clear idea of what the security guarantees will be. This is very important. We are currently working on writing it all down. And we are making progress. The details we have been working on look very good, although this is only the first draft,” Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized earlier in a post on social media.
“For the first time since the beginning of the war, a ceasefire seems possible. We want to follow the path of peace together with Ukrainians, our European partners and the United States. I believe that today, in Berlin, we are taking an important step forward on this path,” wrote German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Statement by European leaders. Full text
The full text of the statement in Polish was published on the website of the Prime Minister's Office.
“The leaders welcomed the significant progress in President Trump's efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. They also noted with satisfaction the close cooperation between President Zelensky and President Trump's teams, as well as the European teams, in recent days and weeks. They agreed to work with President Trump and President Zelensky to achieve a lasting peace that ensures Ukrainian sovereignty and the security of Europe. The leaders appreciated the fact that the US positions United States, Ukraine and Europe are largely convergent on this issue.
The leaders jointly reaffirmed that ensuring Ukraine's security, sovereignty and prosperity is crucial to broader Euro-Atlantic security. They emphasized unequivocally that Ukraine and its citizens deserve a future based on prosperity, independence and sovereignty, free from fear of possible further Russian aggression.
Both U.S. and European leaders committed to working together to provide strong security guarantees and support measures for Ukraine's economic recovery in the context of an agreement to end the war. These guarantees would include a commitment to:
- provide continued and significant support to Ukraine to build up its armed forces, which should be maintained at a level of 800,000 troops in peacetime in order to effectively discourage conflict and defend Ukrainian territory;
- the creation of a European-led and US-backed “multinational force Ukraine” based on the contributions of countries ready to participate in the Coalition of the Willing; This force will support the reconstruction of the Ukrainian armed forces and contribute to ensuring the security of Ukraine's airspace and maritime security, including: by conducting activities on the territory of Ukraine;
- establishing a US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, with international participation, to provide early warning of possible future attacks and to assign responsibility and respond to any violations, together with a de-escalation mechanism for reciprocal actions to reduce tensions, which would benefit all parties concerned;
- adopt a legally binding commitment, in accordance with national procedures, to take action to restore peace and security in the event of a future armed attack; these actions may include the use of military force, intelligence and logistical support, and economic and diplomatic measures;
- investing in Ukraine's future prosperity, including by making significant resources available for reconstruction and reconstruction, concluding mutually beneficial trade agreements, and taking into account the need for Russia to compensate Ukraine for the damage caused; in this context, Russian state assets in the European Union were frozen;
- strong support for Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
The leaders expressed their support for President Zelensky and agreed to support whatever decisions he ultimately makes on Ukraine matters. They confirmed that international borders cannot be changed by force. Decisions regarding the territory of the state belong to the Ukrainian people and can only be made after the effective establishment of solid security guarantees. Leaders agreed that some issues would have to be resolved in the final stages of the negotiations. They also emphasized that they would support President Zelensky in conducting public consultations, if necessary.
They made it clear that, as with any agreement, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and that all parties must work hard to find a solution that brings a lasting end to the fighting.
They also emphasized that any agreement should ensure long-term security and protect the unity of the Euro-Atlantic area and the role of NATO as an organization with an effective deterrent role. They declared that all elements relating to the European Union and NATO would be discussed among the EU and NATO member states, respectively.
Currently, it is Russia's responsibility to demonstrate its readiness to work towards lasting peace by accepting President Trump's peace plan and to confirm its commitment to ending the fighting by agreeing to a ceasefire. The leaders agreed to continue to increase pressure on Russia in order to encourage Moscow to engage in genuine negotiations.
All leaders committed to work together to ensure rapid progress in this area in the coming days and weeks to jointly achieve and endorse an agreement for lasting peace. They reaffirmed their strong support for President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russia's unlawful invasion and in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace.
This declaration is open and can also be signed by the leaders of other countries.
Peace talks in Berlin. Donald Tusk took part in them
A meeting of top European politicians with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, took place in Berlin on Monday evening. US President Donald Trump was to contact the leaders by phone. Poland was represented at the summit by Donald Tusk.
The summit in Berlin was preceded by two days of negotiations between the Ukrainian and American delegations. The Ukrainian side hopes to reach an agreement by the end of Monday.
Territorial decisions remain the key contentious issue. According to media reports, the Americans are to press for the complete withdrawal of Ukrainians from Donbas.
