KYIV -- The leaders of Germany, France, Poland, and Britain joined President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pressing for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire in Russia's war against Ukraine, warning Moscow it would face "massive" new sanctions if President Vladimir Putin balks at the proposed truce.
Zelenskyy and his foreign minister said the leaders agreed the cease-fire should start on May 12.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy, and British and Polish prime ministers Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk announced the proposal after a meeting in Kyiv on May 10. They spoke to US President Donald Trump by phone following the talks.
"So all of us here together with the US are calling Putin out. If he is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a news conference. "No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays."
"If he turns his back on peace, we will respond. Working with President Trump, with all our partners, we will ramp up sanctions and increase our military aid for Ukraine's defense," said Starmer, who also stated that the plan calls for the cease-fire to begin on May 12.
The New York Times quoted an unidentified senior U.S. official as saying Trump supported the Europeans' proposal for new sanctions if a cease-fire were not in place by May 12.
Macron said: "We have just now...decided to support a cease-fire which will begin [May 12], without any preconditions."
Before the visit, the four European leaders promised they would "stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric and illegal full-scale invasion," now well into its fourth year.
In a statement published on the British government website, they reiterated their support for Trump’s call for an agreement to end the war and urged Russia “to stop obstructing efforts to secure a lasting peace.”
SEE ALSO: Tariffs Up, Arms Delayed: Could US Tariffs Disrupt The Ukraine Arms Supply Chain?As the meeting progressed, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that Kyiv "and all allies are ready for a full unconditional cease-fire on land, air, and at sea for at least 30 days starting already on Monday," May 12.
"If Russia agrees and effective monitoring is ensured, a durable ceasefire and confidence-building measures can pave the way to peace negotiations," Sybiha wrote in a post on X.
"A comprehensive (air, land, sea, infrastructure) cease fire for 30 days will start the process for ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II," Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, wrote on X.
Macron, Merz, Starmer, and Tusk also declared their readiness to support peace talks, discuss the technical implementation of a cease-fire, and help prepare for a comprehensive peace agreement.
"We are clear the bloodshed must end," they said. "Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognized borders for generations to come."
The visiting European leaders were in Kyiv to participate in a "coalition of the willing" summit, announced earlier by Zelenskyy, bringing together countries committed to sustaining military and political support for Ukraine.
The coalition includes Great Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Ukraine.
On May 8, following a call with Zelenskyy, Trump renewed his call for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire and warned that failure to reach such an agreement would result in further sanctions from Washington and its allies.
SEE ALSO: Don't Mention The (Ukraine) War: How Putin Celebrated WWII Victory DayRussia had earlier declared a separate, three-day cease-fire from May 8 to 10 to coincide with its Victory Day commemorations. Zelenskyy dismissed it as a "theatrical production," and Kyiv accused Moscow of violating it hundreds of times. Russia also accused Ukraine of launching attacks during the three-day period.
That three-day cease-fire officially ended at midnight on May 10 heading into May 11.
In March, Ukraine agreed to a US proposal for an extendable 30-day cease-fire. Russia effectively rejected it, saying it agreed in principle but attaching numerous conditions that Putin called "nuances."
Speaking to ABC News on May 10, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin would reject a longer cease-fire if Ukraine’s Western allies continue supplying it with weapons during that time.
He hinted that Russia would continue to seek to place conditions on a cease-fire agreement before accepting it, saying that when Trump proposed a 30-day truce n March "it was supported by Putin with the reservation that it is very difficult to discuss this in detail if no answers are found to a large number of nuances."
Peskov also claimed Kyiv is not ready for negotiations, but suggested Trump could play a key role in persuading the Ukrainian leadership to enter talks.
He told CNN that Russia will "consider" the idea of a cease-fire. "Generally speaking, Putin supports the idea, but there are many questions about it," Peskov added.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels on May 10 that any cease-fire “must be implemented without preconditions” and warned that Moscow would face tougher sanctions if it breached an agreement.
Peskov said on a state TV program aired earlier in the day that it was "pointless to frighten" Moscow with new sanctions, saying Russians "are already used to sanctions, and we can even imagine what we will do after these sanctions are announced and how we will minimize their consequences."