After a week when Kiev signed up to a 30-day truce, but Moscow mentioned the reluctance to do so immediately, US Secretary of State Mark Rubio and his colleagues on Friday reached a degree of unity, pulling a joint statement against possible steps against Russia.
Their communiqué, released after the G7 meeting in Canada, noted that the foreign ministers discussed the introduction of further punishment if the Kremlin did not fully implement the ceasefire.
Asked about US sanctions, Rubio warned that Trump “does not want to do it now because he hopes to bring people on both sides to the process when we can agree on the world.”
He added that it was not yet clear whether Russia was playing on time.
“The question is whether we really move to the ceasefire, or is it a retention tactic?” The Secretary of State said. “I’m not going to answer it because I can’t describe it now.”
The G7 statement said that ministers discussed possible measures against Moscow, such as “oil prices, as well as additional support for Ukraine and other means”, in particular, using income from frozen Russian assets.
The G7 froze about 300 billion euros in the Central Bank of Russian assets-in basic cash and government bonds-in 2022 after a full-scale invasion of Moscow.
On Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer calls on leaders from approximately 25 countries to the Coalition of those who want to become ready to control the ceasefire in Ukraine, as well as discussing how to improve sanctions if Putin does not agree to the deal. Downing -Rate confirmed that the fascination with frozen Russian assets was “on the table”.
He acknowledged that the admiration of such assets – unlike the use of interest, which is accrued to support Ukraine, as it does – was a “difficult situation”, but added: “All options are being considered.”
France and Germany, who have long opposed the full asset capture of the EU, have warmed this idea and discussed with the UK and other methods of use.
“We cannot allow President Putin to play games with President Trump’s agreement,” St.
“If Russia finally approaches the table, then we must be ready to watch the ceasefire to make sure it is a serious and lasting peace. If they do not, we need to strain on every sin to increase economic pressure on Russia to ensure this war.”
A video call on Saturday morning stems from a personal meeting of the “Coalition Coalition” at the London House in London two weeks ago.
Britain hoped that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba would participate, but Starmer’s assistants said on Friday that it wouldn’t be on the line. “We are still talking,” said one UK official.
On Friday, Rubio, who previously noted that Kiev would have to make territorial concessions, said Moscow should also do so. “I have never heard President Trump say that Russia has the right to accept all Ukraine and do anything,” he said.
He added that Trump’s national security group calls this weekend after President Steve Vitkoff’s messenger returned from Moscow to study the Russian position.
Trump said in a report on his social network of truth that the discussion with Putin was “good and productive”.
By this week, the new administration has focused on putting pressure on Kiev to agree with the rapid end of the war, but the doubts expressed by Putin about the direct cessation of the fire moved attention to Moscow.
“The ball is now in the Russian court when it comes to Ukraine,” Canada Jolie Foreign Minister said on Friday, adding that “strong unity G7” in Ukraine.
One official said the text of the communique in Ukraine was a tense subject, which was moving over the night. The US claimed a strong language could violate negotiations with Russia and it was fuel before reaching the agreement, they said.
Kiev and its allies in Britain and France sought to overcome the catastrophic meeting last month between Trump and his Ukrainian colleague VolodyMyr Zelenskyy, postponing measures against Russia on the US agenda.
Zelensky’s government agreed to Trump’s proposal this week after the US was dismissed by military aid and intelligence with Kiev – both of which Washington claims that it has resumed.
On the contrary, Putin said he supports the ceasefire but added it “Problems” remained What it was necessary to discuss at first.
His reluctance to support the ceasefire offering when Russian forces made significant Good luck in the Kursk regionWhere last summer Ukraine captured more than 1000 km km.
Indeed, the social post of Trump claimed that the Russian army surrounded thousands of Ukrainian troops, adding that “I urged President Putin to feel sorry.”
The General Staff of Ukraine denied that the Ukrainian troops were surrounded and stated that the fight was ongoing.
On Friday, Putin said that Ukrainian troops in Kursk should surrender Trump’s “address” when Zelensky rejected Moscow’s position to cease the fire as a delay tactic.
“The devil is in detail, and they will start offering you details to drag you into a dialogue, delay certain processes and postpone the end of the war,” the Ukrainian president said. He added that he was hoping for a “strong reaction” by Trump to Putin’s position.
Zelensky also stated that the issue of Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces would be “most difficult”.
Ceasefire and territory “are the most difficult points (negotiations),” he said. “The first difficult because it requires courage and political will, the second because it requires difficult dialogue.”
Additional Max Seddon report in Berlin
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2025-03-14 22:31:00
