October 1, 2026
LONDON (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met French, German, and British leaders in London on Monday amid what Kyiv’s European allies described as a “decisive time” in the U.S.-led effort to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks with Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leader’s 10 Downing St. residence.
The U.K. leader said the push for peace was at a “critical stage,” and stressed the need for "a just and lasting ceasefire.”
Merz, meanwhile, said he was “skeptical” about some details in documents released by the U.S. “We have to talk about it. That’s why we are here,” he said. “The coming days … could be a decisive time for all of us."
European leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again. U.S. President Donald Trump has not given explicit guarantees in public.
Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defense, and long-term funding for Ukraine’s war effort. He said Monday that Ukraine needs support from both Europe and the U.S.
“There are some things we can’t manage without the Americans, things which we can’t manage without Europe, and that’s why we need to make some important decisions,” he said at Downing Street.
After the London meeting, Macron's office said the session allowed the leaders “to continue joint work on the U.S. plan in order to complement it with European contributions, in close coordination with Ukraine.”
National security advisers are finalizing that work ahead of “discussions between Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians, which should strengthen convergence in the coming days,” the statement said. “At the same time, in-depth work will be done to provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees and to plan measures for Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administration’s peace proposal.
Zelenskyy said on Telegram that talks had been “substantive” and that National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov were traveling back to Europe to brief him.
A major sticking point in the plan is the suggestion that Kyiv must cede control of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of the territory. Ukraine and its European allies have balked at the idea of handing over land.
Starmer said he “won’t be putting pressure” on Zelenskyy to accept a peace settlement.
Meanwhile, Russia continued to attack Ukraine amid the diplomatic efforts. Its drones struck high-rise apartments in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka overnight, injuring seven people, according to the head of the regional administration, Oleh Hryhorov. He said the building was extensively damaged.
In the northern city of Chernihiv, a Russian drone exploded outside a residential building, injuring three people, regional head Viacheslav Chaus said. The attack also damaged a kindergarten, gas lines, and cars.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 149 drones overnight, with 131 neutralized and 16 others striking their targets.
Meanwhile, Russian air defenses destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions, it said.
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