Chief political correspondent, travelling with the prime minister<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has arrived in Ukraine where he will join fellow world leaders to put pressure on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in the war.<\/p>\n Sir Keir travelled by train with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Friedrich Merz, who is making his first trip to Ukraine since becoming Germany’s chancellor this week.<\/p>\n Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is joining them in Kyiv. It is Sir Keir’s second visit to Ukraine as prime minister.<\/p>\n He and the other leaders are using the visit to urge Russia to “agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire” – a proposal initially made by US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The leaders’ decision to travel to Kyiv together is a deliberately symbolic response to the more than 20 leaders who joined President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for Russia’s Victory Day commemorations on Friday.<\/p>\n The leaders also vowed to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine”.<\/p>\n On Saturday morning, they visited Kyiv’s Independence Square to pay their respects to the Ukrainian soldiers killed in action since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than three years ago.<\/p>\n The four leaders will join President Volodymyr Zelensky for a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” – the group of around 30 mainly European nations seeking ways to entrench Ukraine’s security if a peace deal with Russia is agreed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In a statement released before their arrival, the leaders said: “We, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom will stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric and illegal full-scale invasion.<\/p>\n “We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace.<\/p>\n “Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.<\/p>\n “We are ready to support peace talks as soon as possible, to discuss technical implementation of the ceasefire, and prepare for a full peace deal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come.<\/p>\n “We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine. Until Russia agrees to an enduring ceasefire, we will ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine.”<\/p>\n Russia announced it would mark World War Two Victory Day with a unilateral, three-day ceasefire, which Ukraine rejected as a “theatrical show”.<\/p>\n Kyiv has described the truce as a farce, accusing Russia of launching thousands of attacks since it came into force at midnight on Wednesday. Russia says it has observed the ceasefire and accuses Ukraine of hundreds of violations.<\/p>\n German Chancellor Merz said he had high hopes that a full ceasefire could be agreed as soon as this weekend.<\/p>\n Russia’s three-day truce is set to end on Saturday night, but Merz said it could be extended to 30 days and the “ball is now entirely in Moscow’s court”.<\/p>\n Trump reiterated the call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire after a phone call with Zelensky.<\/p>\n “If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions,” Trump posted on Truth Social.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Reuters](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/d9e5\/live\/ccdc5df0-2d6b-11f0-848a-ab6c49cae222.jpg.webp\")
Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n