The British leader has encouraged his world counterparts to continue to put pressure on a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine at the start of a virtual meeting on Saturday intended to end the fighting between the two countries.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a virtual meeting of mainly European leaders that “sooner or later” Russia should engage in talks about a ceasefire in the three-year conflict.
He addressed the group, described as a “coalition of the will” of mainly European leaders as well as those of Australia, New Zealand and Canada but not from the United States.
“Sooner or later he will have to come to the table,” said Starmer about Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump urged Moscow to accept a cease-fire agreement agreed by the American and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that “the ball was before the Russian court.”
Putin said he agreed with a ceasefire in theory, but Russia always had certain conditions and questions that must be addressed before accepting any agreement.
In his night video speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Putin was at a standstill and demanded so many prerequisites “that nothing will work at all”.
Meanwhile, the United States has expanded sanctions against Russian oil and gas as well as its financial sectors.
Saturday's discussion between world leaders could respond to the future military and financial support to the security concerns of Ukraine and Zelenskyy if a peace agreement is concluded. Zelenskyy attended the online video session on Saturday.
