Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that peace in Ukraine could not be "imposed." Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that a deal to end the war cannot be reached without Ukraine's participation.
The prime ministers of Greece, Spain, and the United Kingdom expressed support for Ukraine's government on Saturday, citing concerns that Kyiv is being excluded from peace talks between the Kremlin and US President Donald Trump.
He stated he didn't have to be present at the peace negotiations.
What did European leaders express?
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in a phone call that there can be no peace framework without Ukraine's involvement, according to a statement from Mitsotakis' office.
The Greek leader stated that it is up to Kyiv to determine what would bring an end to the conflict.
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis was backed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who stated in an interview on Saturday that peace in Ukraine cannot be "imposed."
A lasting and just peace can only be achieved with the participation of both Ukraine and Europe, Sanchez stated. He is scheduled to visit Kyiv on Monday.
On Saturday, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer informed Zelenskyy over the phone that Ukraine's interests should be the top priority in any negotiations to end the war, and preserving Ukraine's independence is crucial to prevent Russian aggression, according to a statement released by Downing Street.
Starmer also spoke with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the European Union's executive arm. The two leaders "agreed that Europe must take a stronger stance for the benefit of collective European security," Starmer's spokesperson said.
At his last campaign rally in Munich before the federal elections on Sunday, the conservative candidate for German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, stated that Europe must "sit at the main table and look out for our interests in relation to Russia and China."
The United States is seeking a vote in the Security Council on a proposed resolution.
Meanwhile, US diplomats asked the United Nations Security Council to hold a vote on Monday on a brief draft resolution regarding the Ukraine conflict.
Washington this week rejected the text drafted by Ukraine and the EU and instead proposed its own resolution on Friday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the draft resolution reflected Trump's view, which is that the UN must return to its founding mission to uphold international peace and security, including through the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
The United States is expressing its sorrow over the loss of life and "urges an immediate end to the conflict and also emphasizes the need for a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia."
A Security Council vote must receive at least nine affirmative votes and no vetoes from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, or France in order to be adopted.
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy states he is not prepared to sign an agreement with the US regarding the extraction of minerals.
In a separate development on Saturday, the Ukrainian president is "not ready" to sign a deal on minerals with the United States, a source informed the AFP news agency.
The comment contradicts US reports stating that a deal with Kyiv to secure rare earth elements, crucial to powering the energy transition, was near.
Trump has requested "$500 billion worth" of rare earth minerals as compensation for US support to Kyiv during the first three years of the conflict.
However, Kyiv wishes for any agreement signed with the US to include security assurances.
"There are no U.S. commitments in the agreement regarding guarantees or investments, everything about them is very unclear, and they want to extract $500 billion from us," the Ukrainian source told AFP of the proposed deal.
According to Reuters, three sources stated that US negotiators warned Ukraine that they would cut off its access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service unless it agreed to the mineral concession.
London protest urges the world not to "betray Ukraine".
Thousands of protesters gathered in the UK's capital on Saturday, prior to the third anniversary of the conflict, urging Russian troops to leave Ukraine.
Protesters marched through central London, holding signs that read "Occupation is not Peace" and "Don't Betray Ukraine," with a banner demanding "Russian Troops Out."
In a joint statement, the march organizers said Ukraine has been made vulnerable due to insufficient aid to counter Russia and is being "expected to surrender its own citizens to occupation under a deal imposed by Trump."
Orbán: Hungary to Decide on Ukraine's EU Membership Bid
Ukraine's bid to join the European Union will be decided by Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared on Saturday.
Against the will of Hungary and the Hungarian people, Ukraine will never become a member of the European Union," Orban stated at his annual State of the Nation address in Budapest. "Ukraine's accession would devastate Hungarian farmers, and not only them, but also the entire Hungarian national economy.
Orban described Ukraine as a buffer zone between Russia and NATO countries and predicted that once the war ends, Ukraine would resume that role despite Kyiv's aspirations to join the Atlantic military alliance.
Hungary, considered the European Union's closest partner with Russia, has repeatedly threatened to block EU sanctions against Russia but has ultimately always cast votes in favor of them.
Orban's comments on NATO echoed recent statements by members of Trump's administration, who have suggested that Ukraine should forgo its aspirations of joining NATO in order to secure its future security.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
Author: Nik Martin (with AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)