EU awaits outcome of Russia-Ukraine talks before imposing sanctions
The EU is ready to wait for talks between Russia and Ukraine in Türkiye before asking the US to sanction Moscow.
According to RIA Novosti on May 13, Bloomberg cited reliable sources as reporting that European leaders are willing to wait for possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul (Türkiye) before asking the US to announce new sanctions against Moscow.
“European leaders are awaiting a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Türkiye before asking the United States to announce new sanctions against Moscow,” Bloomberg reported.
In addition, according to sources, Washington wants to give Russia and Ukraine a chance to negotiate before increasing pressure on Moscow. According to unnamed European officials, the US has not yet decided on possible further actions, including whether to impose sanctions.
Earlier, on April 10, French President Emmanuel Macron, along with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, held a meeting of the so-called "voluntary coalition" in Kiev.
There, President Macron warned that he would impose restrictive measures on Russia if it did not agree to the terms of a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the West.
On the Russian side, Moscow said that Ukraine did not respond to the ceasefire when President Putin proposed it, especially on Easter and during the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.
Bloomberg later wrote that US President Donald Trump had accepted the statement of European leaders, and made it clear that Washington could also introduce restrictive measures.
