European leaders - including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer - will hold a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding "the US and Russia's plan to end the war in Ukraine," and on Saturday in South Africa, European leaders will hold a meeting within the framework of the G20 meeting "to outline further steps," Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled his agenda on Friday to hold an urgent phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders regarding the US and Russia's plan to end the war in Ukraine, which involves massive concessions to Vladimir Putin. Emmanuel Macron of France and Keir Starmer of Great Britain will also join the phone call at noon European time.
"Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold a phone call regarding the US-Russia development today at 13:00 South African time," Bloomberg journalist Alex Wickham clarified on X.
As the publication writes, "although the US and Russia have largely sidelined European countries in their efforts to end the war, Europe's reaction to their proposal will be crucial in determining Ukraine's next steps."
The European Union is trying to agree on a mechanism that would allow the allocation of about 140 billion euros (160 billion US dollars) to support Ukraine, amid the US cutting support for Kyiv, the publication notes.
Meeting on the sidelines of the G20
European leaders will hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty conference in South Africa on Saturday to outline further steps.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, known for his favorable attitude towards US President Donald Trump, is also expected to attend the meeting, the source said.
European leaders are also trying to arrange a phone call with the US to discuss this initiative.
Merz had planned to visit a school in Berlin on Friday morning but changed his plans to "formulate a response to the American-Russian plan," a German government official said.
Addition
The 28-point peace plan, as the publication writes, "proposed by US and Russian envoys," would force Kyiv to cede significant territories seized by Russia, limit the size of its military forces, and subsequently lift sanctions on Moscow. According to the proposal, a copy of which was seen by Bloomberg, the Ukrainian regions of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk would be "recognized de facto as Russian, including by the United States."