Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. In the E3–Ukraine format, the parties discussed in detail the activation of diplomatic efforts to achieve peace and strengthen Europe’s role in these processes.
This is reported by Finway
Coordination of actions and threat assessment
Zelensky emphasized that European partners highly value the strengthening of Ukraine’s positions both on the front and in conducting long-range operations. According to him, this dynamic could serve as a stimulus for more effective diplomacy. It is expected that the national security advisors of the four countries will soon hold a joint meeting to exchange information and coordinate further actions.
“I had a conversation with Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Friedrich Merz – the E3–Ukraine format. Primarily about how to make diplomacy for peace more active and ensure Europe is involved,” Zelensky wrote on his social media.
Separately, Zelensky informed European leaders about Russia’s plans regarding Ukraine, Belarus, and other European directions. He noted that the Ukrainian side is closely monitoring Russia’s political and military intentions, and intelligence teams will soon exchange detailed information with partners.
Security of the northern direction and Belarus’s position
During the conversation, cooperation with the United States was also discussed, particularly regarding security in the region. The day before, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga informed NATO allies about the increasing risks from Belarus and called for enhanced deterrence measures to prevent further aggression from Russia and Minsk.
On May 19, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, noted that the likelihood of military operations in the northern part of the country poses a real threat. In response, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko stated that Minsk does not plan to get involved in the war against Ukraine, except in the case of direct aggression against Belarusian territory.
Although Belarus is officially not participating in the war against Ukraine, in February 2022, the country’s authorities provided their territory for the movement and deployment of Russian troops, as well as for strikes on Ukrainian targets.