European leaders reject Russia-Ukraine peace deal shaped without Ukrainians, Europeans

PARIS/BERLIN - French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders on Monday rejected any Ukraine peace deal negotiated "without Ukrainians and Europeans".

Macron said Monday that any "peace plan" concerning the Russia-Ukraine conflict could only be finalized with both Ukraine and Europe involved in negotiations.

Macron made the remarks at a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace after meeting with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On issues including frozen Russian assets, security guarantees and Ukraine's potential accession to the European Union, Macron said agreements "can only be finalized with the Europeans around the table".

The French president also stressed that "there is no finalized peace plan as such today".

Zelensky said Ukraine sought to end the conflict "in a dignified manner", calling for "solid" security guarantees, and noted that the "territorial issue will be the most difficult" in future talks.

According to the Elysee Palace, Macron and Zelensky also held discussions with European leaders as well as US and Ukrainian negotiators on Monday.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also said on Monday that Germany stands against any "dictated peace" over the heads of Ukraine.

"No decision about Ukraine and Europe without Ukrainians and without Europeans," Merz told a press conference following his meeting with visiting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Berlin.

Tusk voiced support for Ukraine, noting efforts by Poland and Germany to jointly strengthen the security of Europe.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said on Monday that Europe must also be at the negotiating table, commenting on a possible peace agreement in Ukraine.

Foreign policy makers in Latvia and the Nordic-Baltic region, as well as leaders of the EU and most NATO member states, agree that three principles should be respected, namely the territorial indivisibility of Ukraine, sovereignty and security interests, Rinkevics told Latvian Radio programme "Krustpunkta".

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss ending the conflict with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

A US-proposed 28-point "peace plan" was unveiled two weeks ago. Following its release, representatives from the United States, Ukraine and several European countries met in Geneva on Nov 23 to discuss the plan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff held talks on Sunday with a Ukrainian delegation in Hallandale Beach, Florida.