They took part in a call with Zelensky and several leaders before the Ukrainian president’s meeting with Trump in Florida on Sunday.

Zelensky on Saturday also met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Halifax.

“We welcome all efforts leading to our shared objective — a just and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” European Commission President von der Leyen said on X.

“And that strengthens the country’s security and defence capabilities, as an integral part of the security of our continent,” she added.

“In 2026, the EU Commission will continue to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin, sustain our support to Ukraine, and work intensely to accompany Ukraine on its path toward EU membership,” she also stated.

Costa, the president of the European Council, which represents the bloc’s 27 member states, echoed her promise to continue backing Ukraine, saying on X: “The EU’s support for Ukraine will not falter. In war, in peace, in reconstruction.”

Costa warned the EU was ready to slap further sanctions on Russia if needed.

He listed EU moves which “have made Ukraine stronger” including “prolonging sanctions against Russia, with further measures under way if need be”.

Costa added: “A strong and prosperous Ukraine in the EU is a core security guarantee. We continue to work for a robust and lasting peace for Ukraine, in close cooperation with our US partners.”

The president did not specify who made the proposal or outline its details. He said that the conditions involved “good framework security guarantees,” an economic recovery scheme, and a roadmap for restoring relations with Russia.

“We see, unfortunately, that the leaders of the Kiev regime are still in no rush to resolve the conflict peacefully,” Putin added.

The president made his remarks as the military reported having liberated the strategic town of Gulaypole in Zaporozhye Region and a number of other settlements in its latest successful push.

Putin then noted that Russia’s rapid advances make Kiev’s willingness to agree to any compromises almost irrelevant.

“If the Kiev authorities do not want to end it peacefully, we will achieve all the goals… of the Special Military Operation through military means,” he continued.

His words came just as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded more funding and weapons from his Western backers by stating that the Ukrainian forces lack air defenses and armaments. He also maintained that Ukraine suffers from a “constant deficit of money” while framing Russia as some global threat.

The Ukrainian leader announced that he will meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss a peace framework. Ahead of the meeting, which is expected to take place on Sunday in Florida, he revealed a 20-point plan he claimed Kiev had discussed with the US.

Moscow dismissed the plan as a non-starter. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday it was “radically different” from the proposals discussed by Russia and the US. He also warned that, although Moscow is “fully ready” to resolve the conflict, Kiev and its European backers are seeking to “torpedo” the peace process.

In a post on Telegram, Zelensky lamented that “air defense is not enough now, weapons are not enough now,” adding that “frankly, there is a constant shortage of money, in particular, for the production of weapons and, most importantly, drones,” even despite a recent decision by the EU to provide Kiev with a huge loan.

“We need to be strong at the negotiating table. To be strong, we need the support of the world – Europe and the United States of America,” Zelensky said.

The appeal for additional funding comes as the EU approved this month a loan of €90 billion ($105 billion) to Kiev for 2026-2027, which will cost European taxpayers €3 billion ($3.5 billion) annually in borrowing costs. In addition, the bloc failed to agree on using frozen Russian assets to assist Ukraine due to staunch opposition over overwhelming legal risks from several EU members, most notably Belgium, which holds most of the funds.

The loan is aimed at propping up the struggling Ukrainian economy, with the International Monetary Fund estimating that Ukraine will need approximately $160 billion for 2026 and 2027 combined. For 2026 alone, Ukraine’s parliament adopted a budget with a deficit of around $45 billion, or 18.5% of GDP. The financial conundrum has also been exacerbated by Ukraine’s endemic corruption.

On top of that, Mikhail Podoliak, a senior adviser to Zelensky, stated this week that Ukraine cannot finance potential elections due to the budget deficit, stressing that Kiev should prioritize “militarization” efforts instead. Earlier this month, he also indicated that a vote could only take place provided the West steps in to cover the costs.

Commenting on Podoliak’s remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Kiev “resorts to all sorts of tricks” to obtain Western funding. Moscow has also warned the EU that any assistance for Kiev would be essentially covered by ordinary taxpayers.