The President of the European Council, António Costa, said that the European Union will continue to exert pressure on Russia through sanctions, Politico quoted him as saying, News.bg reports.
„The best way to support Ukraine is to remain consistent in our goal of achieving a just and lasting peace. This means maintaining pressure on Russia through sanctions,” Kostya said in a post on X.
“I will convey this message at today’s leaders’ meeting,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed the opinion that Russia’s conditions for a ceasefire in the Black Sea are “unrealistic” and that Russia is trying to drag out the talks to grab more land.
Zelensky stressed that lifting sanctions against Russia now would be a “disaster for diplomacy“.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that the proposed Black Sea Initiative was a new deal yet to be negotiated, not a continuation of an earlier agreement.
European leaders, including Ukrainian President Zelensky, gathered in Paris on Thursday for a summit aimed at strengthening Ukrainian security ahead of a possible ceasefire with Russia.
European leaders are currently seeking to find a collective response to United States President Donald Trump's intention to ease sanctions on Moscow as an incentive to stop the war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call with Trump on Wednesday evening, March 26, ahead of Thursday's summit, the Elysee Palace reported on Thursday, according to Le Monde.
On February 24, the EU imposed its 16th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting imports of aluminum, shadow navy ships and exports of chemicals, chromium and other materials used in precision machinery.
“In a challenging international and geopolitical environment, we underline the importance of maintaining transatlantic and global solidarity with Ukraine“, European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Costa wrote in a joint statement announcing the sanctions.
While Ukraine has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire under US pressure, Russia, which has not slowed its attack, has demanded that sanctions against its agrobanks and "shadow fleet" be lifted. The Kremlin also wants to inspect Ukrainian ships in the Kiev Sea Corridor, restored after strikes on the Russian fleet after Moscow left the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2023.