**France and UK Working on Truce Plan for Ukraine**
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are trying to create a one-month truce in Ukraine. This was announced by Macron on March 2.
European leaders met in London to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. They want to restore dialogue between the Ukrainian and US governments after a heated argument between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
A truce plan could include stopping ground and maritime operations, as well as protecting energy infrastructure. However, peacekeeping forces would only be deployed on the ground in the second stage of the plan’s implementation.
A British official said that a truce had not been agreed upon in London yet. There is no agreement on when a ceasefire could happen.
Macron also wants the European Union to allocate an extra 200 billion euros to strengthen its defense capabilities. This is because the EU fears a possible US rollback and further Russian threats. The EU countries need to set a target for defense investment of 3-3.5% of GDP.
These issues will be discussed at an emergency European summit on March 6. Macron also wants to provide Ukraine with an emergency military aid package worth 20 billion euros.
Most European leaders have publicly supported Zelensky after his spat with Trump. Starmer has tried to bridge the rift by calling both Zelensky and Trump. He reportedly wants to tell Zelensky that fixing relations with Trump is necessary for lasting peace.
Macron and Starmer are trying to mend ties between Kyiv and the US. They want to present a united front on Ukraine and Russia.
European leaders had previously been left out of talks between the US and Russia, as they were concerned that neither the EU nor Kyiv would have a role in negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine.
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