Europe's Latest Warning To Russia Ahead Of Putin-Zelensky Meet
Istanbul:
While US President Donald Trump “thinks” of flying to Turkey this week for possible talks between Ukraine and Russia over the ongoing war, the European leaders are threatening Moscow with a new round of punishing sanctions if it doesn’t accept an unconditional ceasefire deal with Kyiv. In a fresh twist to the stop-start peace talks process, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday accepted his Russian counterpart’s offer of direct peace talks and said he would travel to Turkey and wait to meet President Vladimir Putin there on Thursday.
Efforts to diplomatically end the war in Ukraine are speeding up before the proposed meeting in Istanbul on Thursday, with each party– including Kyiv, Moscow, Washington and European leaders– wanting to achieve an outcome they want.
What Does Europe Want
Ukraine and its European allies have demanded a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday — calling it a prerequisite for direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. European leaders have also threatened to immediately impose new sanctions on Russia if the Kremlin does not change its stance by the end of Monday.
“The clock is ticking – we still have 12 hours until the end of this day,” said Stefan Kornelius, spokesperson of the German government, at a news conference.
Moscow, meanwhile, rejected their call on Monday, despite threats. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during his daily briefing that “the language of ultimatums is unacceptable to Russia”.
He later said that Moscow wanted “serious” negotiations to achieve peace in the conflict, which has left tens of thousands of people dead.
Moreover, Defence ministers from five major European military powers are also planning to meet in Italy on Friday to discuss support for Ukraine. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto will host his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and Poland, his ministry said Monday in a statement.
What The US Said
Trump has said that he was “thinking” of flying to Turkey for possible Russia-Ukraine talks. “I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen,” the US President told journalists at the White House prior to departing for a trip to the Middle East.
“I think you may have a good result out of the Thursday meeting in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine, and I believe the two leaders are going to be there,” he said.
Asked if he would sanction Russia if President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire, Trump said: “I have a feeling they’re going to agree. I do. I have a feeling.”
The US State Department said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, on Monday and thanked Turkey for “hosting and facilitating Russian and Ukrainian direct negotiations.” Rubio, who is accompanying Trump on the Middle East visit, “welcomed the possibility of an immediate ceasefire,” the State Department said.
Russia-Ukraine War
The prospect of direct Russia-Ukraine talks on ending the war — the first since the early months of Moscow’s 2022 invasion — has been welcomed by Washington and across Europe. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Russia invaded Ukraine, while its army now controls around one-fifth of the country — including the Crimean Peninsula, annexed in 2014.
