Macron, Tusk, Merz and Starmer visit Kyiv and visit the memorial on Maidan Nezalezhnosti

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) arrived in Kyiv by train, along with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Later, the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, joined them.

They intend to discuss a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire. According to their ideas, this window of opportunity should be used for peace talks with Russia.

This demand was previously made by US President Donald Trump. Now he is supported by four Europeans.

‘We reiterate our support for President Trump’s call for a peace deal. Russia is urged to stop obstructing efforts to achieve a lasting peace,’ read a joint statement issued on the way to Kyiv.

At the Independence Square in Kyiv, the E4 team met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena. Here, surrounded by countless grave candles and blue and yellow pennants, they remember the fallen – the number of whom no one knows.

The goal of the E4 visitors: a 30-day ceasefire to test whether aggressor Vladimir Putin really wants to negotiate peace, if not, politicians will increase the pressure. This historic visit aims to show that E4 is firmly on the side of Ukraine.

On the morning of 10 May, during the visit of Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk to Kyiv, the Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station was closed in the capital. The closure of the centre caused severe traffic jams in the city. Later, the work was resumed.

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the Ukrainian people directly on X service, paying tribute to their ‘admirable courage’.

‘Europe’s security is under threat and a joint response is needed,’ he said.

In his post – in French, English and Ukrainian – Macron focused on three things:

• Peace
• Sovereignty
• The future

Peace can only be achieved through a ‘full and unconditional ceasefire’. E4 has been working with the US to achieve this goal. If Russia does not agree to this, Europe and US President Donald Trump will increase pressure on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and Russia.

To recap, the US Embassy in Kyiv has warned of a possible large-scale air attack in the coming days.