European leaders back Trump’s call for Ukraine ceasefire at present lines

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LONDON (Reuters) -European leaders, including from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, issued a joint statement with Ukraine on Tuesday backing U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for a ceasefire at present battle lines.

“We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations,” the statement said.

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are planning to meet in Budapest, capital of Hungary, a NATO and EU member that has maintained warm relations with Moscow throughout the Ukraine war.

Russia has in the past demanded Ukraine cede more territory before a ceasefire, while Ukraine and its European allies have long called for an immediate halt to fighting so that talks can take place.

Trump called for a ceasefire on present lines after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House on Friday.

The statement said European leaders would meet later this week at an EU summit and in the format of the “coalition of the willing” of countries that back Ukraine. Zelenskiy will attend the coalition of the willing meeting on Friday in London.

The coalition – put together by France and Britain in February – has held talks for months at various levels to try to define plans for what countries could contribute militarily for Ukraine and to deter Russia from attacking it again once there is a final truce.

“We must ramp up the pressure on Russia’s economy and its defence industry, until Putin is ready to make peace. We are developing measures to use the full value of Russia’s immobilised sovereign assets so that Ukraine has the resources it needs,” Tuesday’s statement added.

(Reporting by William JamesEditing by Paul Sandle and Peter Graff)