The leaders of Ukraine and its closest European allies – the UK, France and Germany – have drawn a line in the sand, setting out five non-negotiable conditions for any peace deal with Russia. After talks in London on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky, Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement insisting they would “stand firmly with Ukraine” and demand a just and lasting end to the war.
The five conditions include an immediate cessation of hostilities, negotiations based on the current front-line positions, and “robust” security guarantees for Ukraine. The statement also reaffirmed Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements – an apparent rebuke to Moscow’s demand that Kyiv abandon its Nato ambitions.
“Ukraine's allies set five peace conditions with Russia as Trump shifts focus to Iran war”
The meeting came as US President Donald Trump’s attention shifted sharply to a new crisis: the war with Iran. On Wednesday, Trump threatened to “hit” Iran “very hard” if peace talks failed, and by early Thursday explosions rocked Tehran. “Another massive explosion in Tehran,” journalist Vahid Mirzaei posted on X. The US Central Command said it had launched “additional self-defense strikes” against multiple Iranian targets, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warning that “Central Command will be busy tonight”. In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards struck 18 key installations at bases hosting US forces across the Gulf.
Trump later boasted at an Oval Office bill-signing that the US had been secretly extracting “millions of barrels” of Iranian oil every night, claiming 22 ships had been taken “with no lights” through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the effort had brought more than 100 million barrels onto the open market, and declared: “Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. It’s over for Iran!” Iran’s top military command ordered the Strait of Hormuz closed to all vessels after clashes between US forces and IRGC naval units.
Back in London, the three Western powers – known as the E3 – welcomed Zelensky’s open letter to Putin calling for direct talks, a request the Russian leader has repeatedly rejected. Putin has said he will end the war only when Russia’s goals are met. The warring sides have intensified attacks: Ukrainian drones hit St Petersburg on Saturday, described as “unprecedented” by Russian authorities, while Russia pummelled Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones. Before arriving in London, Zelensky accused Russia of a “vile” attack on a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chornobyl plant – a fire was put out and radiation levels remained stable.
The fragile US-Iran ceasefire unravelled as the European allies insisted the US must remain part of any Ukraine peace process. But with American forces now bombing Iran and Trump vowing more strikes, the path to a deal looks as uncertain as ever.