The European Union stands ready to impose a significantly tougher set of sanctions on Russia if meaningful progress is not made this week toward ending the war in Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Merz emphasized the bloc's unified stance in response to continued hostilities in Ukraine and the absence of Russian de-escalation, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.
"We are waiting for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's agreement, and we agree that if there is no real progress this week, we want to work together at European level for a significant tightening of sanctions," Merz stated.
According to the German leader, a new sanctions package is already prepared and could target critical sectors of the Russian economy.
"We will be looking at other areas, such as the energy sector and also the financial market," Merz said, underscoring the EU’s readiness to escalate punitive measures should Moscow fail to take steps toward a ceasefire.
Merz also noted that EU leaders had coordinated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a potential round of negotiations in Istanbul, conditional upon a cessation of Russian bombardments and attacks on civilians.
He expressed measured admiration for Zelenskyy's openness to dialogue but cautioned against further Ukrainian concessions.
"I believe more compromise and more concessions are no longer reasonable," Merz said, suggesting that Kyiv had already demonstrated sufficient flexibility in pursuit of peace.
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis echoed Merz’s call for a firm yet diplomatically engaged European approach, emphasizing the role of the EU in any eventual resolution to the conflict.
"The EU must be at the centre of any peace settlement," Mitsotakis affirmed.
By Vafa Guliyeva
Source: caliber.az
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