LONDON — Russia must agree a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine before starting full talks about ending the war, leading European politicians insisted Monday.
Foreign ministers from France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the European Commission said a halt in fighting remained a pre-condition to negotiations — despite Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently ignoring a Monday deadline set by European allies over the weekend.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas accused Putin of “playing games” and said: “If they are continuing bombing Ukraine all the time, if there’s no ceasefire, there can’t be talks under fire.”
Their stance comes despite U.S. President Donald Trump posting on Sunday that Ukraine should agree “IMMEDIATELY” to Putin’s offer of talks this Thursday in Turkey, even without a ceasefire. While reiterating his call for a Monday ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X: “I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday.”
But arriving in London for talks with fellow European foreign ministers Monday, Kallas said: “In order to go into any peace talks, there has to be a ceasefire, and we also need to see that Russia wants this — to show goodwill, to sit down and talk to Ukraine.”
Asked if she would object to Zelenskyy meeting Putin for talks anyway without such a pause, Kallas replied: “Well, we want to see also that Russia wants peace. It takes two to want peace. It takes only one to want war, and we see that Russia clearly wants war.
“It has been over two months already when Ukraine agreed to [an] unconditional ceasefire. Russia has just played games. So I think they are playing games right now as well.”
‘Get serious’
Kallas spoke as ministers from the Weimar-Plus group — the EU, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland — arrived for talks in London. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was also due to dial in to the meeting virtually.
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is hosting the meeting, commended Zelenskyy’s willingness to engage in talks but did not commenting on the sequencing of a ceasefire. Lammy said: “This is the time for Vladimir Putin to get serious about peace in Europe, to get serious about a ceasefire and to get serious about talks.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, however, said an “unconditional truce” on land, air and sea for 30 days remained a “pre-condition” for peace negotiations.
Barrot said: “We’ve seen that President Zelenskyy has shown time and time again that he is open to negotiation, that he wants diplomacy, that wants peace … Putin’s only response has been more bombing, has been gaining time, has been closing the door to diplomacy.”
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares agreed a 30-day ceasefire would be the “first step” to a “just and lasting peace.” He added: “We are waiting for the answer of Vladimir Putin without any further delay.”
Albares said Zelenskyy’s decision to go to Istanbul was “up to him,” but that Putin “must accept this unconditional ceasefire.” He added: “If the meeting in Istanbul is just a way of delaying and really kicking the ball down the street, then it’s worthless.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who was inaugurated last week, also said Berlin’s new administration expected a ceasefire now and then negotiations. He added Berlin was ready to send more weaponry to Kyiv, but did not specify when asked if that would include Taurus missiles long prized by Ukraine.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said leaders were ready to support the Thursday meeting in Istanbul and “we are supporting American proposals.” He added: “Now the game is in the hands of Putin, because without a ceasefire it’s very difficult to achieve an agreement in favor of peace.”
Sanctions latest
The EU is working on its 17th sanctions package against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the measures expected to be adopted next week at the bloc’s Foreign Affairs Council.
Kallas welcomed a sanctions package proposed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in the U.S. She said secondary sanctions, including more work on oil, would not be agreed this week but said: “I think the moment is there. This is what really fuels their war machine, to get their proceeds from oil and gas, so we should put more pressure on that.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said he hoped Ukraine and Russia would “find a way to cease fire and to have productive, real negotiations,” and that Monday’s meeting would be about “narrowing down” what needs to happen.
Asked by POLITICO if leaders would change tack if there is no ceasefire day after day, Sikorski replied: “It’s regrettable, but Putin is showing us yet again who is the aggressor [and] who is the victim, who wants peace and who wants war, and we should draw the conclusions.”
He added: “I think in Britain, you have a saying that after eight years a prime minister goes mad. Well, he’s been in charge for over 20 years, and I suspect that he’s fed ultra optimistic information about the state the Russian economy, or the state of the Russian army …
“If he yet again rejects a ceasefire, then the logical conclusion is that pressure should be brought to bear, not on the victim of aggression, but on the perpetrator of aggression until he feels the pain and becomes more reasonable.”
Nette Nöstlinger contributed reporting.
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