France, June 8 -- After meeting Zelensky Sunday at 10 Downing Street, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supported his proposal for a face-to-face meeting with Putin.

In a joint statement, the leaders said they "commended" Zelensky's proposal, which he set out in an open letter to Putin on Thursday.

The three leaders, who head an informal security alliance called the E3 group of European Nations, have been prominent backers of Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022.

In the statement, the leaders said they support "a direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia - with active US and European participation - to bring about a ceasefire and support further nego...