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EU Leaders Wait for Turkiye Talks Before Pressing US on New Russia Sanctions, Bloomberg Reports

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Maryna_kulakova
Maryna Kulakova
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EU Leaders Wait for Turkiye Talks Before Pressing US on New Russia Sanctions, Bloomberg Reports
France's President Emmanuel Macron (R), Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz (C) arrive at Kyiv railway station on May 10, 2025, ahead of a gathering of European leaders in the Ukranian capital. (Source: Getty

European leaders are prepared to wait for a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Türkiye before pressuring the United States to impose new sanctions on Moscow. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing informed sources, on May 13.

According to Bloomberg, discussions between American and European officials on Monday, May 12, revealed that Washington wants to allow time for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, scheduled for Thursday, May 15, before escalating pressure on Putin.

The sources familiar with the matter indicated that if Putin refuses to meet with Zelenskyy, or if Russia fails to agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire on May 15, European leaders will call on US President Donald Trump to follow through on his threat to impose sanctions on Moscow.

The sources also noted that during Monday’s discussions, the US side did not provide a clear answer on whether it would impose sanctions if Russian attacks continue this week, or how it would respond if Putin declines the meeting and continues military operations against Ukraine.

As previously reported, Putin has stated he is ready for “direct negotiations” with Kyiv in Istanbul on May 15.

Shortly after, Trump announced that he expects Ukraine to agree to the talks in Istanbul, despite Russia’s refusal to meet the condition of a ceasefire before negotiations. Following this, Trump stated he does not rule out visiting Türkiye for the talks.

Zelenskyy said he is prepared to meet Putin in person on May 15 in Istanbul and endorsed Trump’s proposal for direct talks with Putin and reiterated his readiness to meet with the Russian leader.

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