Western sanctions on Russia need to be increased, not weakened, in order to bring it to the negotiating table, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The prime minister accused Vladimir Putin of “playing games and playing for time” after the Russian president demanded sanctions were lifted before a US-brokered maritime ceasefire is enacted.
“Now is not the time for pulling back or weakening sanctions – now is the time to increase sanctions to get them to the table,” Starmer said in Paris, where he is meeting European leaders.
French President Emmanuel Macron, co-hosting Thursday’s so-called “coalition of the willing” summit, has suggested a European reassurance force could “respond” if attacked by Moscow.
Starmer said on Thursday a “framework and a deadline” was needed for Ukraine peace talks.
He said he had agreed with partners at the summit, which hosted representatives from 30 nations as well as the European Union and Nato, that “we must go further now to support the peace process, support Ukraine and increase the pressure on Russia to get serious”.
“It means increasing the economic pressure on Russia, accelerating new tougher sanctions, bearing down on Russia’s energy revenues, and working together to make this pressure count,” he said.
Starmer said that the political mood to find a just and lasting peace in Ukraine was “stronger and broader” than it had ever been, adding that “Europe as a whole has not been this strong and united in a long time”.
The UK will chair the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact group, comprised of dozens of countries, to deliver further military aid and “keep Ukraine in the fight”, Starmer said.
The prime minister said defence chiefs from the UK, France and Germany would also be meeting in Ukraine, but did not specify a date.
Speaking with Ukraine’s President Zelensky earlier, Starmer accused Russia of “continuing to inflict devastating attacks on the Ukrainian people” and said Putin’s promises were “hollow”.
Zelensky said that everybody at the meeting understood “that Russia doesn’t want any kind of peace” and was “dragging out the war, adding that they would discuss security guarantees in the coming weeks and days.
In a post on X, the Ukrainian leader thanked the UK and France for their support and shared a picture of himself and Starmer holding talks, describing the plans as a “coalition of strength for the sake of peace”.
“Our unity and joint work in Europe, with the United States, and other partners, can force Russia into peace,” Zelensky added.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaking the terms of a separate, tentative deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure.
Washington announced the Black Sea deal had been agreed on Tuesday, after holding separate talks with delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia.
But just hours later, the Kremlin said it would not take effect until sanctions were lifted on Russian banks, producers and exporters involved in the international food and fertiliser trades.
