European countries prefer to wait for potential negotiations between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin on Turkish territory before pressuring the U.S. regarding new restrictive measures against Russia. According to Bloomberg, citing informed sources, following consultations between U.S. and EU representatives on May 12, it became clear that the American side hopes to give a chance to the Russian-Ukrainian talks on May 15 before considering options to increase sanctions pressure.
As sources note, if Putin refuses to meet with Zelensky or if Moscow does not agree to an unconditional ceasefire following Thursday’s negotiations, European leaders will demand that Donald Trump follow through on his earlier threat and impose sanctions.
At the same time, as the publication’s sources emphasize, Washington has not yet given Europe a clear answer on whether it is prepared to tighten the sanctions regime.