European leaders have agreed with United States President Donald Trump that Russia's stance in ceasefire talks is unacceptable and intend to prepare a response, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday.
"We have just had a meeting with President Zelensky and then a phone call with President Trump to discuss developments in today's negotiations, and Russia's position is clearly unacceptable," Starmer told reporters.
"Following the meeting with President Zelensky, and discussions with President Trump, we are now aligning and coordinating our responses and will continue to do so," he said.
He indicated that the leaders of France, Germany, and Poland also agreed on the joint decision with Trump.
During the summit in Tirana, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is committed to ending the war with Russia, but called on European leaders to toughen sanctions on the Kremlin if President Vladimir Putin continues to drag out ceasefire talks.
Russia and Ukraine held direct peace talks on Friday for the first time since 2022, in the port city of Istanbul in Turkey.
However, officials and observers assessed that no progress is expected from these talks in efforts to stop the war that has lasted more than three years.
"Ukraine is ready to take all steps to end this war," Zelensky told leaders gathered at a summit of the European Political Community in Tirana.
But, he stressed that "if it turns out that the Russian delegation is simply a theatrical performance and does not bring any results today, the world must react."
He said the response should include "sanctions on Russia's energy sector and banks."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer supported Zelensky's call, saying in a speech at the summit that "Russia is dragging its feet and playing games."
"We must be ready to act, because if Russia does not sit at the negotiating table, then Putin must pay the price," he said at the summit held in the Albanian capital, Tirana.
European leaders criticize Putin for refusing to meet with Zelensky.
Zelensky made these comments after Putin refused to meet with him for face-to-face talks.
“I think Putin made a mistake by sending a low-level delegation,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said as he arrived at the summit. “The ball is clearly in his court now. He has to act. He has to be serious if he wants peace. So I think all the pressure is now on Putin,” Rutte added.
Zelensky did not speak as he walked with Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, along the red carpet past the gathered media.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Putin was "playing games, which shows he is not serious about peace."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it is clear that "President Zelensky is ready for a meeting, but President Putin never showed up, and this shows his true position. Therefore, we will increase the pressure."
Von der Leyen said the EU is preparing a new sanctions package. She said the measures would target the shadow fleet of old cargo ships that Russia is using to evade international sanctions, as well as the Nord Stream gas pipeline consortium.
She added that the Russian financial sector would also be targeted. EU envoys have been working for weeks on the new sanctions package, and the bloc's foreign ministers could approve it as early as Tuesday.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed that efforts to reach an agreement on Ukraine must continue.
"I think we should not give up. We should insist on an unconditional ceasefire and a serious peace agreement that includes security guarantees for Ukraine," she said. / REL (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
