Ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Albania, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for his refusal to engage in meaningful peace talks over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Starmer emphasized that Putin’s tactics of delay and evasion have only resulted in further bloodshed and instability across Ukraine.
“Putin’s tactics of dithering and delay, while continuing to cause devastation and suffering in Ukraine, are utterly intolerable,” Starmer stated ahead of the summit, which is set to take place in Tirana, Albania, on Friday.
The meeting brings together members of the European Union and 20 other countries to discuss pressing issues, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Simultaneously, Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to meet in Istanbul, Turkey, for negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.
However, neither President Putin nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to attend, raising doubts about the potential for any significant peace progress.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed skepticism about the outcome of the talks.
The EPC summit was established by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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In a statement from Downing Street, it was revealed that the participants would be putting additional pressure on the Kremlin, especially after Putin reportedly avoided US-mediated peace talks in Istanbul earlier this week.
“A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed,” Starmer stressed, adding, “If Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must face the consequences.”
The UK government has warned that if Russia continues to refuse peace, energy sanctions on Russian oil are expected to be intensified in the coming weeks.
The EU and the UK have already implemented new sanctions targeting Russia’s “shadow” oil fleet.
The international community’s pressure on Russia continues to mount as the war in Ukraine shows no sign of abating, with leaders like Starmer calling for decisive action to end the suffering caused by the prolonged conflict.