NaijaBlogDaily reports that European leaders are weighing fresh sanctions on Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s absence at recent high-stakes peace talks in Istanbul, aimed at ending the three-year war in Ukraine.

The talks between Ukraine and Russia concluded without a breakthrough, despite international pressure for a ceasefire.

In a show of transatlantic unity, top European leaders — French President Emmanuel Macron, German’s Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk — held a joint call with US President Donald Trump from the sidelines of a summit in Albania to debrief and discuss next steps.

“It is unacceptable that Russia and President Putin have not responded for a second time to the demands made by the Americans, supported by Ukraine and the Europeans,” said Macron.

Putin Sends Low-Level Delegation, Sparks Disappointment

Putin’s decision to skip the Istanbul talks and send only a second-tier delegation was sharply criticized by European leaders.

“The Russian side had not shown any goodwill,” said Tusk, calling for unwavering unity between Europe and the US on Ukraine.

German leader Friedrich Merz expressed deep disappointment at the lack of progress, saying Russia had refused to take the first step toward peace despite conducive conditions for dialogue.

Zelensky-Trump Communication Deepens

• Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also joined the leaders in urging a stronger Western response if Moscow continued its defiance.
• Should the peace talks fail, the call with President Trump followed Zelensky’s earlier plea for a “strong reaction” from Western allies.
• Notably, Trump, once skeptical of Ukraine’s war effort, has recently re-engaged diplomatically, backing a key minerals deal with Kyiv and showing increasing frustration with Moscow’s stance.

“We will not give up… We are determined to continue to help Ukraine so that this terrible war comes to an end,” Merz said.

Ceasefire Still Out of Reach

Although a prisoner exchange was agreed upon and discussions of a potential Putin-Zelensky meeting were initiated, the Istanbul dialogue failed to produce a ceasefire.

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The Ukrainian side demanded an unconditional ceasefire, but no commitments were made by Russia, which has now prompted the EU to begin coordinating further sanctions with the US.

Macron confirmed that another call with Trump would follow once there is a response from Moscow to the latest diplomatic proposals.

Stay tuned to NaijaBlogDaily for real-time updates on Ukraine-Russia peace efforts and global diplomatic responses.

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