European leaders held a conference call initiated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss ongoing negotiations surrounding the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Merz organized the conversation, which focused on the current peace talks. "This is very useful for consolidating our common assessments of the overall situation. We will continue to work together with our Ukrainian and American friends in the coming days and weeks," Stubb wrote.
Merz described the call as "further consultations in the Berlin format with our European and Canadian partners." The chancellor stated: "We are moving the peace process forward. Now transparency and honesty are required from everyone – this also applies to Russia."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it a "good discussion" and said the conversation covered Ukraine's support, security, and future reconstruction. "The prosperity of a free Ukraine lies in its accession to the EU. This in itself is also a key security guarantee. Not only the countries joining the EU benefit from accession – successive waves of enlargement have shown that this is an advantage for all of Europe," von der Leyen noted.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also participated in the call, according to the announcement.
A similar conversation with European leaders and the Canadian prime minister took place before President Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump in Florida this weekend.
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a meeting of the "coalition of the resolute" in Paris for early January, where concrete contributions from each state to Ukraine's security guarantees system are expected to be finalized.
