In a show of unity in Kyiv on Saturday, leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

The leaders, from France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland, said the proposal to start the ceasefire on Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day. Their statement came amid mounting efforts to persuade Moscow to agree to a truce that would allow for peace talks on ending over three years of full-scale war.

Trump said last week that he doubts Putin wants to end his war in Ukraine, expressing new skepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon, and hinted at further sanctions against Russia.

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks on on the day they meet at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2025.  (REUTERS/Nathan Howard)

Progress on ending the war has seemed elusive in the months since Trump returned to the White House, and his previous claims of imminent breakthroughs have failed to come to fruition. Trump has previously pushed Ukraine to cede territory to Russia to end the war, threatening to walk away if a deal becomes too difficult.

Ukraine’s European allies view its fate as fundamental to the continent’s security, and pressure is now mounting to find ways to support Kyiv militarily, regardless of whether Trump pulls out.