The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have proposed a one-month ceasefire in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he is aware of this initiative.

Source: Macron in an interview with Le Figaro, reported by Le Parisien. Zelensky commented to journalists before departing from the UK, according to BBC.

Details: Following the leaders' summit in London, Macron stated that he and Starmer are suggesting a ceasefire for air, sea, and energy infrastructure that will last for a month.

“It is important to remember that today’s frontline is equivalent to the Paris-Budapest line. In the event of a ceasefire, it will be very difficult to verify adherence to this frontline,” he said.

Macron further explained that the ceasefire would be the first step, with the deployment of ground troops to ensure peace to follow later.

Macron's statement: “In the coming weeks, there will be no European troops on Ukrainian soil. The question is how we utilize this time to try to achieve a viable ceasefire, with negotiations lasting several weeks, and then, after signing peace, deployment.”

Details: Macron also believes that Europeans should increase their defense budgets.

“For the past three years, Russians have been spending 10% of their GDP on defense. Therefore, we must prepare for the future, aiming for about 3% or 3.5% of GDP,” he said.

Le Parisien notes that France currently allocates 2% of its resources to defense, significantly ahead of its European neighbors.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a comment to journalists before departing from the UK, stated that he is aware of Macron and Starmer's initiative.

When asked if he knows about this plan, Zelensky replied: “I know everything.”