French President Emmanuel Macron announced Saturday that the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in London on Monday to discuss renewed U.S. efforts to formulate a peace agreement ending the war with Russia. The announcement came as Ukraine reeled from another wave of massive Russian strikes targeting vital energy and transportation infrastructure.
Macron condemned Moscow’s latest attacks, saying Russia had launched a large-scale assault involving 653 drones and 51 missiles overnight, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. The strikes caused widespread power outages across several regions and further destabilized the country’s already strained energy grid. In response, Ukraine said it carried out its own strike on Rosneft PJSC’s oil-processing plant in Russia’s Ryazan region.
In a social media post, Macron sharply criticized the Kremlin’s escalation, arguing that Russia was “locking itself into an escalatory path and is not seeking peace.” He added that Europe must continue to apply pressure on Russia “to compel it to choose peace.”
Monday’s meeting in London will bring together Macron, Zelenskiy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The leaders are expected to assess the rapidly changing military situation in Ukraine while reviewing ongoing negotiations between Kyiv and Washington. U.S. officials said Friday that American negotiators had agreed with Ukraine on a “framework of security arrangements,” including discussions about what deterrence capabilities may be necessary as part of a possible settlement. Despite progress, U.S. officials signaled that a breakthrough remains elusive.
Zelenskiy said he spoke Saturday with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, about the status of the discussions. According to Zelenskiy, the parties “agreed on the next steps and formats for talks with the United States,” though no further details were provided.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the scale of Russia’s latest attack underscores the difficulty of pursuing a peace agreement amid persistent and intensifying violence. European leaders hope Monday’s meeting will help unify positions among Ukraine’s closest allies and clarify the U.S. approach as it pushes for a resolution to the nearly three-year conflict.
