Advertisement

War in Ukraine For Members

Norway, Sweden and Denmark back Ukraine 30-day ceasefire plan

AFP
AFP - news@thelocal.no
Norway, Sweden and Denmark back Ukraine 30-day ceasefire plan
Norway's PM Jonas Gahr Støre, pictured, said the 10 countries in the Joint Expeditionary Force coalition supported the 30-day Ukraine ceasefire proposal. (Photo by Marko Mumm / AFP)

Norway's prime minister on Friday said a group of northern European nations including Sweden, Denmark and the UK supported a US proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Advertisement

"We need a ceasefire, an unconditional ceasefire, first," Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) coalition in Oslo.

"That needs to be monitored and respected before you can move into the negotiations on the big issues to reach a lasting peace," he added.

The JEF comprises 10 countries -- Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK -- and was set up to rapidly respond to crises.

Støre said that during a dinner on Thursday with leaders from the coalition member countries they had contact with both US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the proposal.

"We also stress the need for accountability of such a ceasefire, and if it's not respected, there should be sanctions imposed," Støre said.

Advertisement

Trump on Thursday called for "a 30-day unconditional ceasefire" on his Truth Social network after speaking to Zelensky.

Trump said that "both countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations" to halt the conflict, which started when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

"This is a concerted approach that is now being sent by the US, by the Europeans and by Ukraine," Støre said.

More

Comments

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at news@thelocal.no.
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also