Putin,
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin must face consequences for evading opportunities to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Starmer made the statement ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) summit taking place Friday in Tirana, Albania.
“Putin’s tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, (are) intolerable,” the UK Prime Minister said in a pointed statement released before the summit.
The EPC, launched in 2022 by French President Emmanuel Macron following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, brings together European Union member states and 20 other countries.
Friday’s gathering in the Albanian capital comes amid renewed efforts to negotiate peace between Kyiv and Moscow.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to meet in Istanbul for discussions aimed at resolving the conflict.
However, the talks will proceed without the participation of either Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, casting doubt on the likelihood of a breakthrough.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already voiced scepticism about the Istanbul talks producing tangible progress toward peace.
According to Downing Street, leaders at the EPC summit will be “piling the pressure on the Kremlin… after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday.”
“A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price,” Starmer added, reinforcing the UK’s position on the matter.
As pressure mounts on Moscow, the UK government revealed that Russian energy exports could become the “central target in widespread sanctions action in the coming weeks if Russia does not agree a ceasefire.”
This comes after both the European Union and the United Kingdom approved new sanctions targeting Russia’s so-called “shadow” oil fleet earlier this week, signaling a coordinated response to what Western allies see as continued Russian intransigence.
