Germany warns Russia: Accept ceasefire or face sanctions
Germany has warned Russia that if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire by the end of the day, Berlin will begin working on new sanctions. "The clock is ticking," said government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius.
If Moscow does not accept the demand, "preparations will be set in motion," said Stefan Kornelius in Berlin. "The clock is ticking — we still have twelve hours until the end of this day," added the government spokesperson.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. European countries are pressing for a ceasefire in Ukraine before further peace negotiations begin.
Zelensky on readiness for talks with Putin
"We expect a ceasefire from tomorrow to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for reasons why they cannot [participate in talks - ed.," wrote Zelensky on Sunday on social media.
On Saturday, the leaders of Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom called on Moscow to unconditionally accept a 30-day ceasefire, threatening to impose sanctions on the Russian energy and banking sectors. The proposal for a truce was supported by US President Donald Trump.
Putin responded with a counter-proposal to start direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday in Turkey. He stated that Russia proposes direct talks to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict."
