The planned Russian-Ukrainian talks are hindering the European Union's push to introduce new US sanctions against Moscow. This is stated in The Washington Post, reports UNN.
Details
It is noted that the possibility of direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul thwarted European efforts to involve the United States in imposing new sanctions against Russia, unless there is an immediate 30-day ceasefire.
In the same way that European officials noticed a greater degree of skepticism from President Donald Trump's team regarding Russia's intentions and agreed with US officials on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin's proposal for negotiations changed the conversation.
They explain that the "sudden" meeting, which is expected to take place on Thursday in Istanbul, has cast doubt on the sanctions plans.
There was coordination with the Americans on sanctions, and there were good signals. But in the end, it depends on the current situation
Media interlocutors emphasized that if representatives of Ukraine are present in Istanbul, and Russia is not, this will have consequences for Moscow, but if both parties are present, this may bring a ceasefire closer.
Recall
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he will arrive in Turkey on May 15 with a formed Ukrainian delegation. At the same time, he stressed that no negotiation formats have been worked out so far, except for possible direct negotiations at the level of leaders.
Special Representative of US President Donald Trump Steve Vitkoff reported that together with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he will travel to Turkey on Friday, May 16, to participate in the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.
lavrov will not participate in negotiations in Istanbul - Russian media14.05.25, 18:03