European Leaders Alarmed by Trump’s Reluctance to Press Russia with Sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the phone conversation between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Responding to Trump's initiative for immediate talks, Zelensky indicated that a new meeting of negotiating teams could take place.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

EU and Ukraine flags

Kyiv is considering another meeting of all teams — from the US, Ukraine, Russia, and European countries, the Ukrainian leader said.

"Once again, I confirmed that Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russia in any format that brings results. Turkey, the Vatican, Switzerland — we are considering all possible venues. Ukraine does not need convincing, and our representatives are prepared to make real decisions in these talks," Volodymyr Zelensky said.

He noted that Kyiv is ready to sign a memorandum with Moscow and is waiting for a draft from the Russian side.

Zelensky also responded to a question about whether Ukraine's neutral status would be discussed at the talks.

"Ukraine already has a status, it's written in our Constitution — everything is clear there,” the politician stressed.

He also ruled out withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Ukrainian-controlled parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as from Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DNR and LNR), as demanded by Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier announced Moscow's readiness to work on a memorandum that would outline positions related to a potential peace agreement.

Trump, after his conversation with Putin, emphasized that negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv would begin immediately.

The US leader said that the terms for the immediate start of Russian-Ukrainian talks would be agreed upon by the two sides, as they alone know the details of the negotiations that "no one else will know.”

Europe Poised to Tighten Sanctions Against Russia

European Union countries have agreed to increase sanctions pressure on Russia following the Putin-Trump phone conversation, German government spokesperson Steffen Cornelius said.

"European participants stated that they would intensify pressure on the Russian side through sanctions," Cornelius said.

During the phone call, Trump reportedly said that the US Senate had prepared a new package of anti-Russian sanctions, though he himself favored negotiated agreements. This was revealed by Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov.

The US President informed Zelensky about his call with the Russian leader, and also briefed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

European leaders were reportedly surprised by Trump's reluctance to impose new sanctions on Russia following his conversation with Putin, The Financial Times said.

The way Trump described his agreements with Putin surprised European politicians, the newspaper said. Trump's remarks indicated that he was "not prepared to exert greater pressure” on Russia, FT wrote.

European Leaders React to Trump's Call with Putin

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said after his call with US President Trump that Europe will continue to support Ukraine and step up pressure on Russia to bring an end to the conflict.

"Europe and America are very united on this: we will closely support Ukraine on the path to a ceasefire. Europe will increase pressure on Moscow through sanctions," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

He clarified that this agreement was reached with Trump after the latter's phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called her conversation with US President Trump a "good discussion” and thanked him for his efforts toward a ceasefire in Ukraine.
• Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that European leaders discussed with Trump the steps toward a long-lasting and just peace. He emphasized that close US-European relations remain intact.
• French President Emmanuel Macron stated that European leaders held a joint call with the White House after Trump's talks with Putin, though he did not disclose details.