Zelenskiy says Ukraine 'fully supports' joint statement by European leaders

(Reuters) -Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Kyiv "values and fully supports" a joint statement by European leaders on achieving peace in Ukraine while protecting Ukrainian and European interests.

French, Italian, German, Polish, British, Finnish and European Commission leaders on Saturday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to try to end the war, but emphasised the need to pressure Russia and provide security guarantees for Kyiv.

"The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations," Zelenskiy wrote on X.

"Ukraine values and fully supports the statement by President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Starmer, President Ursula von der Leyen, and President Stubb on peace for Ukraine."

Trump plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. He has talked up the prospect of a deal that could resolve the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict.

Zelenskiy and his European allies have warned that any deal requiring Ukraine to surrender significant parts of its territory would only encourage Russian aggression.

(Reporting by Dan PeleschukEditing by Elaine Hardcastle and Christina Fincher)