European leaders have expressed support for United States President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker peace in Ukraine ahead of his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a joint statement released Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Alexander Stubb welcomed Trump’s push to “stop the killing in Ukraine” and secure a just and lasting peace.

The leaders stressed that any successful approach must combine active diplomacy with continued support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia to end what they described as an “illegal war of aggression.” They pledged to back Trump’s initiative diplomatically while maintaining military and financial aid to Kyiv through the Coalition of the Willing and continuing sanctions against Moscow.

They agreed that a diplomatic settlement must safeguard Ukraine’s and Europe’s “vital security interests,” which include robust security guarantees to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Negotiations, they said, can only be meaningful if preceded by a ceasefire or reduction in hostilities, and Ukraine must have full freedom to decide its own future.

Reaffirming their stance that international borders cannot be altered by force, the leaders said the current line of contact should serve as the starting point for talks. They also condemned Russia’s invasion as a “flagrant violation” of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the Budapest Memorandum, and other international commitments.

“We continue to stand firmly by the side of Ukraine,” the statement read, underscoring unity among European nations and