With US leadership and European support we Ukrainians may at last have peace. But don’t let Russia off the hook | Andriy Yermak

Today's Jeddah summit will be crucial. But so too is the need for European unity to counter Russian aggression now, and deter it in the future

• Andriy Yermak is head of the Ukrainian presidential office
• Zelenskyy's chief of staff urges Europe to keep financial pressure on Russia

As I arrive in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a ceasefire in the three-year war the Russian Federation has waged on my country has never seemed closer. Recent talks between Ukraine and its partners have given rise to great hope that the Ukrainian people will very soon return to the peaceful lives that they enjoyed before the war began in 2014 or the extreme escalation since 2022.

I believe that together with strong American leadership we can reach this goal. The prospect of peace - long hoped for - forces every Ukrainian to reflect on our shared gratitude, concern and determination. Gratitude for the support and confidence that we have received in recent years, concern for the future of Europe and determination to reaffirm Ukraine's democratic, European convictions. No one wants the current war to end more than our people - but a peace must be found that is both just and sustainable.

Andriy Yermak is head of the Ukrainian presidential office