British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin “must pay the price for avoiding peace,” as leaders gather in Tirana, Albania, for the European Political Community (EPC) summit on Friday.
In a statement issued ahead of the meeting, Starmer condemned what he described as Putin’s strategy of delay and violence.
“Putin’s tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, (are) intolerable,” he said.
The EPC, a forum created in 2022 on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, brings together EU members and 20 additional countries to coordinate responses to European security and geopolitical challenges.
Friday’s summit coincides with expected negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul aimed at resolving the conflict. However, neither Putin nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to attend. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has voiced doubts about any meaningful progress emerging from the talks.
According to Downing Street, leaders at the EPC will be “piling the pressure on the Kremlin… after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday.” Starmer echoed that sentiment, calling for a complete and unconditional ceasefire.
“A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price,” he added.
The UK government also indicated that Russian energy exports are likely to become a “central target in widespread sanctions action in the coming weeks if Russia does not agree a ceasefire.”
Both the European Union and Britain imposed fresh sanctions this week on Russia’s so-called “shadow” oil fleet, aimed at curbing Moscow’s ability to finance the war.
What you should know
As hopes for a breakthrough in peace talks remain dim, European leaders are intensifying diplomatic and economic pressure on Moscow.
Starmer’s remarks signal a unified Western front preparing for further sanctions, especially targeting Russia’s energy sector, unless meaningful steps toward a ceasefire are taken.
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