European leaders have signaled that they will move forward with a new wave of sanctions against Russia—regardless of whether the United States joins them—if ceasefire talks in Turkey on Thursday fail to deliver results.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Europe would implement additional sanctions if Moscow refuses to agree to a 30-day ceasefire. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed that warning on Tuesday, stating that without “real progress” this week, Russia would face renewed pressure. He also urged President Vladimir Putin to meet face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The European Union has already enforced 16 rounds of sanctions since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
As of Tuesday evening, it remained unclear whether Putin would accept Zelenskyy’s proposal for direct talks. Zelenskyy is en route to Ankara to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and has said he will travel to Istanbul if Putin agrees to attend. “If Putin doesn’t show up and keeps playing games, it will prove he has no real intention of ending this war,” Zelenskyy stated.
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas commented in Copenhagen, “It would be a good step if they meet … but I don’t think Putin has the courage.” If neither leader appears in Istanbul, discussions are expected to continue at a lower level between their respective delegations.
Keith Kellogg, Ukraine envoy for former U.S. President Donald Trump, said that if Putin attends, “President Trump will be there.” Trump is currently visiting the Middle East, but Kellogg, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump associate Steve Witkoff, are expected to be present in Turkey.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged Brazil to help convince Putin to attend the talks. China and Brazil, both members of the BRICS alliance alongside Russia, issued a joint statement expressing hope that direct dialogue would begin as soon as possible.
President Macron acknowledged that Ukraine understands it cannot retake all territory lost since 2014 and emphasized that the West is not seeking to provoke a wider conflict. “The war must end, and Ukraine should be in the strongest position possible for negotiations,” he said. “Even Ukrainians recognize they can’t recover everything taken since 2014.”
Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes using guided bombs hit Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday, killing at least three people, according to local officials.
In cultural news, the Cannes Film Festival opened with a tribute to Ukraine, featuring three documentaries: Zelensky; Bernard-Henri Lévy’s Notre Guerre; and 2000 Meters to Andriivka, co-produced by The Associated Press and Frontline, and directed by Oscar-winner Mstyslav Chernov (20 Days in Mariupol). The festival called the special “Ukraine Day” a reflection of artists’ and journalists’ dedication to telling the story of this ongoing war in Europe’s heart.