British Prime Minister:

Bring Putin to the negotiating table with great pressure

This painting by artist Alexei Sergiejnko is currently on display in the Russian metropolis of St. Petersburg. It is a combination of the faces of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US head of state Donald Trump.

(Bild: APA/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A coalition of Western Ukraine supporters activated by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is threatening Russia with tougher sanctions and more military aid for Kiev if Moscow rejects an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire.

Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin must be brought to the negotiating table with great pressure, warned Starmer after a video chat with around 25 Western heads of state and government, NATO and EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky.

The weapons must fall silent and the "barbaric attacks" on Ukraine must end. The Prime Minister announced that the plans for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine to secure a possible agreement would move into an "operational phase". Discussions are to take place in the UK next Thursday.

Putin is not yet ready for an immediate ceasefire at the suggestion of the USA. Ukraine has declared its willingness to do so in principle. Putin attaches conditions to a ceasefire; he has not backed down from his maximum demands for the time being.

"Yes, but" from Russia not enough
The group agreed "that the "yes, but" from Russia is not enough", explained Starmer with regard to Putin's reaction to the US ceasefire proposal. "We have jointly decided that collective pressure will be exerted on Russia - by everyone who took part in this meeting." Starmer did not comment on the details of possible tightening of sanctions against Russia and the expansion of military support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and non-European representatives such as Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also took part in the discussions. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President António Costa and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte were also present. The USA was not represented. Under Donald Trump, it has moved away from its previous Ukraine policy as the country's most important supporter and among its Western partners, to which the other Western allies are now seeking a response.

Von der Leyen sees Russia as having a duty
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated after the conference that Russia must now prove "that it is prepared to support a ceasefire that leads to a just and lasting peace". French President Emmanuel Macron called for further "clear" pressure to be exerted on Russia together with the USA in order to achieve a ceasefire. However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni once again ruled out participation in a possible peacekeeping force

During the consultations, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed "the Ukrainian President's willingness to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire", according to government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit. It was now up to Russia to "end its daily attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure and finally take the path to a lasting and just peace".

Selenskyj: Russia wants to achieve a "stronger position" before negotiations
Selenskyj accused the Russian side in the struggle for a ceasefire in Ukraine of wanting to achieve a "stronger position" on the battlefield before possible negotiations. "They want to improve the situation for themselves on the battlefield," explained Zelensky at a press conference in Kiev on Saturday, referring to Russia. This was the reason for the delays in the talks process.

Zelensky also determined the composition of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation for possible talks on a "just peace" with Russia, as stated in a decree published on Saturday. According to the decree, the head of the presidential office Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the deputy head of the presidential office, Pavlo Palisa, are to be part of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation. The four were already involved in the talks with the USA in Saudi Arabia a few days ago.

Kremlin is "cautiously optimistic"
Efforts to achieve a ceasefire recently gained momentum after Ukraine agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire during talks with the USA. US special envoy Steve Witkoff presented the US proposal in Moscow on Thursday and spoke with Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin and Trump could then also talk to each other. Moscow expressed "cautious optimism", as did US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Although Putin had previously supported a ceasefire, he had also set conditions. A ceasefire would have to "lead to lasting peace and address the underlying causes of this crisis".

This painting by artist Alexei Sergiejnko is currently on display in the Russian metropolis of St. Petersburg. It is a combination of the faces of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US head of state Donald Trump.