E3 leaders hold talks with Trump amid ‘intensive work’ on Ukraine peace plan

ISTANBUL

The leaders of the E3 group of France, Germany and the UK held a phone call Wednesday with US President Donald Trump as "intensive work" continues on an American peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The UK government announced in a statement that Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Trump about "the latest on the ongoing US-led peace talks."

"Intensive work on the peace plan is continuing and will continue in the coming days. They agreed that this was a critical moment – for Ukraine, its people, and for shared security across the Euro-Atlantic region," the statement said.

Trump later told reporters that the phone call took place and that the leaders conversed in “pretty strong words.”

“We spoke to Germany and the UK -- all very good leaders, very good friends of mine -- and we discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words,” he told reporters at the White House at a roundtable meeting.

“We're waiting to hear answers before we progress,” he said, adding that a meeting would take place over the weekend in Europe, with both US and Ukrainian representatives attending.

“We'll make a determination depending on what they come back with. We don't want to be wasting time,” he added.

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Kyiv is finalizing a 20-point document aimed at defining the parameters for ending the war and intends to deliver it to the US soon.

Talks have continued between Kyiv, Washington and European capitals on a reduced US-backed 20-point peace framework after earlier drafts were slimmed down and stripped of what Ukrainian officials described as non-Ukrainian provisions.