Russia should agree to ceasefire or could face more sanctions - Tusk
If Russia rejects the latest ceasefire proposal, it could face more sanctions as nobody would believe it stood for peace, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said.
On Saturday, Tusk along with his counterparts from Germany and the United Kingdom, Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer, President of France Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russia to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday and begin peace talks regarding the end to its aggression on Ukraine.
The initiative received backing from the 'coalition of the willing', a partnership of countries planning ways to support Ukraine after the potential ceasefire, and US President Donald Trump.
At a press conference following the leader's meeting in Kyiv, Tusk said: "For the first time in a long time, we had the impression that the whole free world was united... we all spoke in one voice. And it was not a voice of naivety."
"We realise it very well that the true test is still ahead of us, for us, and for Russia, for (Russian President Vladimir - PAP) Putin," he said. "We will be waiting for Russia's reaction."
Tusk added that the proposal worked out in Kyiv was a "very serious" one, and if Russia rejected it, nobody would have any doubts as to "who is for peace, and who is for war".
"If this... generous proposal... of immediate ceasefire is rejected... we are ready to step up sactions (against Russia - PAP)," Tusk concluded. (PAP)
wpb /mj/ mar/
