European leaders and Ukraine have issued a collective declaration backing US President Donald Trump's proposal for an immediate halt to hostilities in Ukraine, calling for negotiations to begin from the existing frontlines. The move marks a pivotal shift in the Western diplomatic approach to the war, coming days before a planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest.

In the statement, signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the leaders expressed a shared commitment to "a just and lasting peace, deserved by the people of Ukraine."

"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 read. "We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force."

The joint declaration directly blames Moscow for obstructing peace efforts, saying, "Russia's stalling tactics have shown time and time again that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace. We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction."

Budapest peace gambit

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The statement comes amid a flurry of diplomatic developments. On October 16, Trump announced that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to hold a summit in Budapest following what he described as a "very productive" two-hour phone call. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov later confirmed that the call was initiated by Moscow and that both sides had agreed to "immediately begin preparations" for the meeting. Trump said the summit would aim to "bring this ‘inglorious' war between Russia and Ukraine to an end."

Zelensky, in turn, has pressed to be included in the proposed talks. Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press on October 19, he declared, "If we really want to have just and lasting peace, we need both sides of this tragedy… How can there be some deals without us about us?" Zelensky said he had told Trump directly, "I'm ready," signaling Kiev's frustration over being sidelined as Washington and Moscow move closer to direct negotiations.

Their tension was evident in Zelensky's October 17 visit to the White House. According to The Washington Post, Trump dismissed Ukraine's request for Tomahawk missiles and instead complained about not receiving a Nobel Peace Prize, telling his Ukrainian counterpart, "You can't possibly win back any territory… You should try to give diplomacy another chance." European diplomats described the encounter as "chaotic", while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later admitted the meeting "did not go as hoped."

Frozen leverage

Against this backdrop, European leaders have sought to consolidate political and financial backing for Kiev. The statement reiterated that "Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position, before, during, and after any ceasefire" and called for intensified economic pressure on Russia. "We must ramp up the pressure on Russia's economy and its defense industry until Putin is ready to make peace. We are developing measures to use the full value of Russia's immobilized sovereign assets so that Ukraine has the resources it needs," it continued.

That reference reflects an ongoing European Union initiative to finance Ukraine through a €140 billion loan backed by frozen Russian central bank assets, an unprecedented plan under discussion at this week's European Council summit in Brussels. According to EU officials, the measure would ensure Ukraine's wartime stability without breaching international property laws.

Read more: Ukraine may use reparations loan to buy weapons outside Europe

Leaders are also expected to meet under the "Coalition of the Willing" framework, a group spearheaded by France and the UK to coordinate military aid and long-term deterrence mechanisms. The coalition's meeting in London later this week will coincide with preparations for the Budapest summit, where Trump and Putin are expected to discuss the conditions for a potential truce.