Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged for tougher sanctions against Moscow after a Russian drone strike killed nine bus passengers in northeastern Ukraine, occurring just hours following the first peace talks between the two nations in three years of conflict.
On Friday, Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Turkey but could not establish a temporary ceasefire. This marked their first direct conversation since the war began in February 2022.
Regarding the drone strike in the Sumy region, Zelenskiy said on X: “All the deceased were civilians. And the Russians could not have failed to understand what kind of vehicle they were targeting. This was a deliberate killing of civilians.” Ukrainian police shared images of a dark blue passenger van that is almost totaled, featuring a torn-off roof and shattered windows.
What sanctions is Zelenskiy urging against Moscow now?
“Pressure must be exerted on Russia to stop the killings. Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy,”
Zelenskiy said.
He stated that Russia dispatched “a weak and unprepared” delegation to Istanbul, lacking a significant mandate, even as genuine actions were essential to conclude the war.
“We are expecting strong sanctions against Russia from the United States, from Europe, and from all our partners. Diplomacy must start working,”
Zelenskiy stated.
Before the negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv convened in Istanbul, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized the need for direct talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, stating that “nothing could happen” until then.
What did the French president say regarding talks?
Moreover, French President Emmanuel Macron also stated that the discussions in Istanbul yielded no results.
“Today, what do we have? Nothing. And so I tell you, faced with President Putin’s cynicism, I am sure that President Trump, mindful of the credibility of the United States, will react,”
he said during a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
What outcomes does the Kremlin expect before leaders meet?
On the other hand, On Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia views such a meeting as possible, but only following discussions between both parties. to “achieve certain results in the form of agreements”.
“At the same time, when signing documents that the delegations are to agree upon, the main and fundamental thing for us remains who exactly will sign these documents from the Ukrainian side,”
Peskov also said.
Peskov did not provide further details on that comment. Previously, Putin has questioned Zelenskiy’s legitimacy as president, citing that his elected term ended last year.
