President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Downing Street on Monday for an in-person meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz, in a renewed display of European backing for Ukraine.
The leaders will discuss ongoing negotiations between US and Ukrainian officials over a draft peace deal centred on Ukraine’s long-term security guarantees.
The meeting follows a virtual session of the “coalition of the willing” held two weeks earlier, where the leaders examined proposals for a European peacekeeping force that could be deployed if a ceasefire is reached.
In a joint statement issued by the European Council after that discussion, the three European leaders endorsed former US President Donald Trump’s view that any talks should begin from the current line of contact.
The draft peace agreement, shaped in early stages by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev, has drawn sharp criticism for terms that would have severely limited Ukraine’s military and political sovereignty, amounting to what Kyiv viewed as capitulation.
Ukraine’s negotiators substantially revised the proposal last month, removing several of Russia’s maximalist demands, though the war continues unabated.
Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile barrage on Friday night, targeting Ukraine’s energy and transport infrastructure. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces fired 653 drones and 51 missiles, with air defences intercepting 585 drones and 30 missiles.
Zelenskyy said the strikes aimed to cripple the country’s energy grid, accusing Moscow of attempting to weaponise winter by depriving civilians of heat and power.
Meanwhile, US and Ukrainian officials are holding a third consecutive day of talks in Florida as the Trump administration presses Kyiv to accept a US-backed peace framework. The plan continues to face obstacles, with Russian President Vladimir Putin rejecting key elements concerning Ukraine’s territorial integrity and measures intended to deter future aggression.
Starmer has reiterated that any settlement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and that Kyiv alone should determine its future. He said a European peacekeeping force would play a crucial role in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security once fighting ends.
Both Ukrainian and US negotiators said progress toward a deal ultimately depends on Russia demonstrating a genuine commitment to lasting peace.
In its newly released national security strategy, the White House reaffirmed its support for Ukraine as a viable state while also emphasising the need to stabilise relations with Moscow, arguing that ending the war is essential to restoring strategic balance with Russia.
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