Russian President Vladimir Putin must immediately agree to a ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine, “because time is not on his side,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot before the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, News.bg reports.
Regarding the upcoming meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump in Hungary, Barrot stressed that the Russian leader's visit to the EU "only makes sense if it leads to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire."
The French diplomat also noted that another reason for the urgent cessation of hostilities is the dire state of the Russian economy, burdened by military spending and the sanctions that "Putin continues to impose on his own people."
Earlier today, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kallas commented that "it is not good" that the Russian president could travel to Hungary for talks on Ukraine.