Statement by Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Frederiksen, President Stubb, President
Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Prime Minister Schoof, Prime Minister Støre, Prime
Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Kristersson, Prime Minister Starmer, as well as President
Costa and President von der Leyen
Berlin, 15 December 2025
The Leaders welcomed significant progress on President Trump’s efforts to secure a just and
lasting peace in Ukraine. They also welcomed the close work between President Zelenskyy’s
and President Trump’s teams as well as European teams over the recent days and weeks.
They agreed to work together with President Trump and President Zelenskyy to get to a
lasting peace which preserves Ukrainian sovereignty and European security. Leaders
appreciated the strong convergence between the United States, Ukraine and Europe.
Leaders agreed that ensuring the security, sovereignty, and prosperity of Ukraine was
integral for wider Euro-Atlantic security. They were clear that Ukraine and its people
deserved a prosperous, independent, and sovereign future, free from fear of future Russian
aggression.
Both the US and European leaders committed to work together to provide robust security
guarantees and economic recovery support measures for Ukraine in the context of an
agreement on ending the war. This would include commitments to:
• Provide sustained and significant support to Ukraine to build its armed forces, which
should remain at a peacetime level of 800,000 to be able to deter conflict and defend
Ukraine’s territory.
• A European-led ‘multinational force Ukraine’ made up from contributions from willing
nations within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing and supported by the US.
It will assist in the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in
supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine.
• A US led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism with international
participation to provide early warning of any future attack and attribute and respond
to any breaches along with a deconfliction mechanism to work on mutual
deescalatory actions that can be taken to benefit all parties.
• A legally binding commitment, subject to national procedures, to take measures to
restore peace and security in the case of a future armed attack. These measures may
include armed force, intelligence and logistical assistance, economic and diplomatic
actions.
• Invest in the future prosperity of Ukraine, including making major resources available
for recovery and reconstruction, mutually beneficial trade agreements, and taking
into account the need for Russia to compensate Ukraine for the damage caused. In
this vein, Russian sovereign assets in the European Union have been immobilised.
• Strongly support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
The leaders expressed their support for President Zelenskyy and agreed to support whatever
decisions he ultimately makes on specific Ukrainian issues. They reaffirmed that
international borders must not be changed by force. Decisions on territory are for the
people of Ukraine, once robust security guarantees are effectively in place. They agreed that
some issues would need to be resolved in the final stages of negotiations. They underlined
that they would support President Zelenskyy to consult his people if needed.
They were clear that as in any deal, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and that all
parties must work intensively towards a solution that could assure a lasting end to the
fighting.
They were also clear that any deal should protect the long-term security and unity of the
Euro-Atlantic and the role of NATO in providing robust deterrence. They stated that any
elements affecting the EU and NATO will be discussed among EU and NATO members
respectively.
It is now incumbent upon Russia to show willingness to work towards a lasting peace by
agreeing to President Trump’s peace plan and to demonstrate their commitment to end the
fighting by agreeing to a ceasefire. Leaders agreed to continue to increase pressure on
Russia to bring Moscow to negotiate in earnest.
They all committed to work on rapid further progress in the coming days and weeks to
jointly conclude and endorse an agreement for a lasting peace. They reaffirmed their strong
support for President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s
illegal invasion and in delivering a just and lasting peace.
This statement remains open for other countries to join.