Macron, Starmer and Merz to meet Zelenskiy in London on June 7, Elysee says

PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will hold talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday, the Elysee said in a statement. 

“This meeting will allow them to continue their close coordination on our shared agenda of continuing support for Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia’s war effort,” the statement said. “Russia is facing military, economic, and strategic failure — and persists, unsuccessfully, on the front lines in a deadly war.”

• Meeting is due to take place in London.

• Zelenskiy wants European leaders to step up efforts to help bring an end to the Ukraine war, concerned U.S. President Donald Trump is distracted by Iran.

• In an open letter published on Thursday, the Ukrainian leader urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him to agree an end to more than four years of war.

• Kremlin says Putin was briefed on the letter.

• Macron said on Friday: “We have always advocated for direct negotiations between Ukraine and the Kremlin… I think that it is Ukraine and Russia who can build both a ceasefire and a peace plan. It is the Europeans who can help with this.”

• In Montenegro, Merz said “we are open to dialogue, what is missing is Putin’s willingness.”

(Reporting by Hugo Lhomedet; Editing by Dominique Vidalon and Toby Chopra)