The US President Donald Trumpʼs demands that Ukraine accept Russian leader Vladimir Putinʼs offer to hold talks in Turkey have thwarted plans by European leaders to persuade the US to impose sanctions on Moscow for its refusal to accept a 30-day ceasefire.
This is reported by The Guardian, citing sources.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk traveled to Kyiv on May 10 to pressure Trump. They wanted to convince the U.S. president that Putin was stalling and that the United States had no political choice but to impose tough economic sanctions on Russia.
European Union foreign ministers also visited Lviv on May 9 to pressure Russia, including agreeing to set up a special tribunal to try Russia’s military and political leadership for the crime of aggression. And the UK announced its biggest-ever sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet.
However, Trumpʼs demands that Ukraine agree to Putinʼs offer to hold talks in Turkey thwarted the plans of European leaders.
After that, Volodymyr Zelensky had no choice but to accept Putin’s invitation to talks in Istanbul for fear of offending Trump, sources told The Guardian. Putin, however, offered talks so as not to alienate the US president and prevent European pressure on Trump from increasing.
Additional US sanctions against Russia would not only have an economic impact, but would also prove politically that Trump sees Putin as an obstacle to resolving the war in Ukraine.
Ceasefire negotiations
A meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” took place in Kyiv on May 10. Among those present were French President Emmanuel Macron, British and Polish prime ministers Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk, and Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz. More than 30 leaders joined online.
Following the conversation, Volodymyr Zelensky said that a complete ceasefire with the Russian Federation should begin on May 12 for at least 30 days. Ukraine and its partners demand this. According to him, the ceasefire should be comprehensive, that is, in the air, at sea, and on land, and monitoring can be ensured together with the United States.
Axios wrote: Ukraine is ready for direct talks with Russia if it agrees to a 30-day ceasefire. This is what Zelensky and European leaders told Trump during a call on May 10.
Zelensky has called for tougher sanctions against Russiaʼs energy sector and banking system if it does not agree to a full ceasefire. The EU is currently negotiating a 17th package of sanctions with Britain, Norway and the US.
On the night of May 11, Putin proposed resuming direct talks between Ukraine and Russia, without mentioning the 30-day ceasefire that is due to come into effect on May 12. Zelensky responded that he would personally wait for Putin in Turkey. The Russian Federation did not respond to the Ukrainian presidentʼs statement.
As early as May 12, Trump said he might come to Istanbul for the Ukraine-Russia meeting. However, it is not yet known whether he will definitely be there.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.