Zelensky Arrives in London for Talks With Keir Starmer and E3 Leaders

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London for bilateral talks with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and E3-format discussions with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as the E3 leaders and Zelensky issued a joint statement on June 7 setting out five conditions for a “just and lasting peace” between Kyiv and Moscow.

“Volodimir Zelenski wants to negotiate with Vladimir Putin”

El Mundo

The joint statement “welcomed” Ukraine’s recent battlefield advancements and “the ground-breaking use of drone technology,” and it said the leaders would “best coordinate further support for Ukraine based on its prioritised needs” ahead of upcoming international gatherings including the G7 Leaders’ Summit.

El Mundo

The statement called for Putin to accept “an immediate and complete ceasefire,” and it said negotiations should begin at “the current line of contact,” while also requiring “robust and legally binding security guarantees” and compensation for damages caused by Russia throughout the war.

Zelensky also told Sky News on June 7 that “We want to stop the war in a way where the war will not come back,” adding, “It’s not the idea just to freeze, but the quickest way to is to freeze and to move it to a diplomatic setting.”

Zelensky said in a post on the X platform that his teams had “already done significant work on preparing all the meetings,” and he framed the leadership-level focus as “our defense in the war against Russia” and “greater cooperation for the security of all of Europe in the field of air defense.”

In the same London visit, Zelensky condemned the Russian drone attack on a nuclear waste disposal site near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and France 24 reported that Paris, Londres et Berlin supported Zelensky’s proposal for “dialogue direct” between Ukraine and Russia with “la participation active des Etats-Unis et de l'Europe.”

Fakti.bg

France 24 said the four leaders stressed that “La ligne de contact actuelle doit servir de point de départ aux négociations,” and they also “ont souligné le besoin urgent de faire passer à l'échelle la production d'intercepteurs.”

El Mundo described the E3 working dinner in London as aimed at articulating a possible “day after the war,” while Zelensky said the summit would focus on “the war, greater cooperation to strengthen air defense across Europe, and our common outlook on diplomatic prospects.”

Beyond the London talks, France 24 reported that a Russian drone strike “a partiellement détruit” a building on a site of storage of used nuclear fuel in the Tchernobyl exclusion zone, and it quoted Energoatom saying the building was empty and that “les niveaux de radiation restaient normaux.”

“Paris, Londres et Berlin soutiennent la proposition de Zelensky d'un "dialogue direct" entre Russie et Ukraine Londres (AFP) – Les dirigeants français, allemand et britannique ont apporté leur soutien dimanche à la proposition de Volodymyr Zelensky d'un "dialogue direct" entre l'Ukraine et la Russie, "avec la participation active des Etats-Unis et de l'Europe", à l'issue d'une réunion avec le président ukrainien à Londres”

France 24

France 24 also cited the IAEA director general Rafael Grossi saying “l'incident est profondément inquiétant” because it occurred on a site containing “de larges quantités de matériel nucléaire,” while Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriï Sybiga accused Moscow of “menaces envers la sûreté nucléaire.”

The Kyiv Independent said Zelensky’s joint statement called for European security interests to be safeguarded in any deal, including that elements related to the EU and NATO would need the consent of the EU and its Member States and NATO Allies respectively.

In the same London context, the Kyiv Independent reported that Zelensky said “Europe should be (included) in the negotiations and should be strong,” and it noted that the Kremlin had dismissed Zelensky’s open letter the day after it was issued while signaling openness to a European role in diplomacy.