KYIV, Ukraine, May 10, (AP): Ukraine and its allies are ready for a "full, unconditional ceasefire” with Russia for at least 30 days starting Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Saturday. His remarks came as the leaders of four major European countries visited Kyiv to push for Moscow to agree to a truce and launch peace talks on ending the nearly three-year war.

They followed what Sybiha said was a "constructive” phone call between them, US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Saturday also marked the last day of a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia that Ukraine says the Kremlin’s forces have repeatedly violated.

In March, the United States proposed an immediate, limited 30-day truce, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking. The leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom arrived together at the train station in Kyiv, and met Zelenskyy shortly after to join a ceremony at Kyiv's Independence Square marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

They lit candles at a makeshift flag memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers and civilians slain since Russia's invasion. The visit marked the first time the leaders of the four countries had traveled together to Ukraine, with Friedrich Merz making his first visit to Ukraine as Germany’s new chancellor. Sybiha on Thursday called the Russian truce a "farce,” accusing Russian forces of violating it over 700 times less than a day after it formally came into effect.

Both sides also said attacks on their troops had continued on Thursday. "We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” the leaders said in a joint statement. "Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree to a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace."

Retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, said Saturday that a "comprehensive” 30-day ceasefire, covering attacks from the air, land, sea and on infrastructure, "will start the process for ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II.” Trump has pressed both sides to quickly come to an agreement to end the war, but while Zelenskyy agreed to the American plan for an initial 30-day halt to hostilities, Russia has not signed on.