The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and the EU High Representative met in London on May 12 to discuss russia's war against Ukraine and security in Europe. In a joint statement, they pledged to limit russia's ability to wage war and called for a 30-day ceasefire.
The ministers support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The senior officials also welcomed the peace efforts and the prospect of further talks this week.
"So far, Russia has not shown any serious intention to make progress. It must do so without delay. We join Ukraine in calling for an immediate, complete, unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create space for negotiations for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace," the statement said.
The statement said that any peace would only be durable if it was based on international law and if Ukraine was able to deter and defend itself against any future russian attacks.
The countries also agreed to work with Ukraine on initiatives aimed at strengthening the Ukrainian Armed Forces, replenishing ammunition and equipment stocks, and further strengthening the industrial capacity.
"We are committed to credible security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes exploring the possibility of creating a coalition of air, land and naval forces that could help build confidence in any future peace and support the rebuilding of the Ukrainian armed forces. And we will work on new commitments to reconstruction and recovery, including at the Conference on Ukraine's Recovery in Rome on 10-11 July, to ensure that Ukraine's future security is underpinned by a vibrant economy," the ministers said.
They also agreed to take measures to reduce russia's ability to wage war, including: limiting the kremlin's revenues, dismantling the shadow fleet, tightening the price cap on oil, and reducing the remaining imports of russian energy.
"We will keep Russian sovereign assets in our jurisdictions immobilized until Russia stops its aggression and pays for the damages it has caused," the foreign ministers added.
As a reminder, at the meeting, Ukrainian Minister Sybiha told his colleagues that the russians are ignoring the proposal for a complete and lasting ceasefire from May 12. They continue to attack Ukrainian positions along the entire front line.
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