Zelensky to meet European allies to discuss common position on ending Russia-Ukraine war

Detailed summary

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said a meeting of Kyiv’s allies is being prepared to decide Europe’s position in talks to end the war with Russia. | World News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to meet European allies to discuss a common position on ending the war with Russia. He also called for stronger military and energy support for Ukraine as Russian attacks continue ahead of winter.

Zelensky said on Sunday that a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, a group of Kyiv’s allies, is being prepared. The meeting aims to set Europe’s position in talks on ending the war with Russia.

“We are preparing a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing. It is an important meeting, and it could be a historic one,” Zelensky said in his daily evening address, according to AFP. He added: “We can define a 100-percent strong European position for victory."

He also said a meeting of the Ramstein group, which helps support Ukraine’s defense, is set for next week. He said “it needs to be productive” and should “send a strong signal to Russia that Ukraine will not be left without support”, as per AFP.

Europe has chosen five countries, France, Britain, Poland, Germany and Italy, to send representatives to future Ukraine talks. Until now, talks have been held in the Ukraine-Russia-US format, and Moscow wanted to keep Europeans out.

“The trilateral format of Ukraine-America-Russia must become not just a quadrilateral format, but also significantly stronger,” Zelensky said.

Also read: US asked Ukraine to cede Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, Zelensky says

According to AFP, Russia has continued its attacks on Ukraine ahead of winter, including during two days of talks in Abu Dhabi this week. Zelensky said Russia has been targeting one region at a time for several days, focusing on electricity grids and substations.

The central Dnipropetrovsk region has faced the most attacks since the start of September. The strikes have left thousands of people without electricity as temperatures drop.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Hindustan Times. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.