LONDON (MNN); Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “small progress” was made during talks in London with the leaders of Germany, France, and the UK. Zelenskyy also confirmed reports that unidentified drones were spotted near his plane during his flight to Ireland last week.
The UK government announced that Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a call with European allies to update them on the situation in Ukraine after the London meetings. All leaders agreed that “now is a critical moment” and emphasized the need to increase support for Ukraine while maintaining economic pressure on Russia.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed that securing multi-year funding for Ukraine this December is crucial. She added that providing Ukraine with the resources it needs does not prolong the war but can help end it.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv is short of about $800 million to purchase planned US weapons this year with the support of European allies. For next year, Ukraine requires approximately $15 billion for the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme, which involves buying US weapons with European funding.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army reported 87 combat engagements with Russian forces so far today. Firefighters evacuated residents and pets from a nine-storey apartment building in Sumy after a Russian drone strike, leaving several people injured.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Chinese officials to use their influence to help end the conflict. Meanwhile, Moscow welcomed aspects of the new US National Security Strategy, noting it could allow Russia and the US to find common ground on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine has no legal or moral right to cede any territory to Russia under any peace deal and is working closely with the US to address the issue. He stated that a European peace plan should be ready to present to the US by tomorrow.
