Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Kyiv “values and fully supports” a joint statement by European leaders on achieving peace in Ukraine while protecting Ukrainian and European interests.
European leaders on Saturday welcomed US president Donald Trump’s plans to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine, while stressing the need to keep pressure on Moscow and protect Ukrainian and European security interests.
“We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests,” they said.
“We agree that these vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said, adding: “The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”
The leaders said “they remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force”, and added: “The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.”
They said negotiations could only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.
On X, Mr Zelenskiy wrote that “The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations.”
“Ukraine values and fully supports the statement by President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Starmer, President Ursula von der Leyen, and President Stubb on peace for Ukraine.”
Mr Trump plans to meet Mr Putin in Alaska on Friday. He has talked up the prospect of a deal that could resolve the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict.
Mr Zelenskiy and his European allies have warned that any deal requiring Ukraine to surrender significant parts of its territory would only encourage Russian aggression.
On Sunday, one person was killed and several apartments and an industrial facility were damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on the south Russian region of Saratov, the local governor said.
Roman Busargin posted on the Telegram messaging app that residents were evacuated after debris from a destroyed drone damaged three apartments in the overnight attack.
“Several residents required medical assistance,” Mr Busargin said. “Aid was provided onsite, and one person has been hospitalised. Unfortunately, one person has died.”
Russian air defence units destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including eight over the Saratov region, the defence ministry said. It reports only how many drones its defence units down, not how many Ukraine launches.
Mr Busargin did not specify what kind of industrial site was damaged.
Social media footage showed thick black smoke rising over what looked like an industrial zone. Reuters verified the location seen in one of the videos as matching file and satellite imagery of the area. Reuters could not verify when the video was filmed.
Ukrainian media, including the RBK-Ukraine media outlet, reported that the oil refinery in the city of Saratov, the administrative centre of the region, was on fire after a drone attack.
Reuters could not verify those reports. There was no official comment from Russia.
Kyiv says its attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure that is key to Moscow’s war efforts, including energy and military infrastructure, and are in response to Russia’s continued strikes. – Reuters