Berlin ultimatum: Ceasefire or new sanctions loom for Russia
Germany has warned Russia that if it does not agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire by the end of the day, Berlin will begin drafting new sanctions. "The clock is ticking," said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius.
If Moscow does not accept the demand, "preparations will be set in motion," said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius at noon in Berlin. "The clock is ticking — we still have twelve hours until the end of this day," added the politician.
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has expressed his willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. European countries are advocating for a ceasefire in Ukraine before further peace negotiations commence.
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 social media on Sunday.
On Saturday, the leaders of Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom urged Moscow to unconditionally accept a 30-day ceasefire, threatening sanctions on the Russian energy and banking sectors. The truce proposal was supported by US President Donald Trump.
Putin responded with a counter-proposal to initiate 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."
