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European countries have decided to wait for the Russia-Ukraine peace talks scheduled for May 15 in Istanbul before approaching the United States regarding new anti-Russian sanctions, Bloomberg reported citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to sources, on May 12, the U.S. informed European officials of its intention to allow Russia and Ukraine to conduct direct negotiations in Türkiye before discussing increased pressure on Moscow.
European leaders plan to again urge U.S. President Donald Trump to implement restrictive measures if "Putin refuses to meet with Zelenskyy or Russia does not agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire," the agency reported. However, according to Bloomberg, the U.S. administration has not yet made a final decision on anti-Russian sanctions.
"Following conversations between U.S. and European officials on Monday, it was clear the American side wanted to allow an opportunity for talks between Russia and Ukraine to take place on Thursday before increasing pressure on Putin," Bloomberg sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Trump administration has reportedly prepared options to put more economic pressure on Russia should the president choose to do so. In a social media post on May 8, Trump stated that "the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctions" if a ceasefire isn't respected.
Earlier on Monday, Trump floated the idea of traveling to Türkiye himself to join the potential meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
"I was thinking about flying over," Trump said Monday at the White House. "I don't know where I'm going to be on Thursday — I've got so many meetings — but I was thinking about actually flying over there."
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said earlier this month that he has bipartisan support for a bill that would enact "bone-crushing" new sanctions on Russia, including a 500% tariff on imports from countries that buy Russian oil, petroleum products, natural gas, or uranium.
The potential peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will likely occur at the delegation level, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has yet to revoke legislation prohibiting peace talks with Moscow, according to Turkish political analyst Engin Ozer speaking to the Russian media outlet RIA Novosti.
"One important aspect of the negotiations that is often overlooked is that Ukraine still hasn't repealed the law prohibiting peace talks. Therefore, Zelenskyy's invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to Istanbul on May 15 is perceived as a diplomatic maneuver," said Ozer, a leading expert at the Ankara-Moscow analytical network, in comments to RIA Novosti.
"In diplomatic tradition, after agreements on ceasefire issues are reached, state leaders gather for a signing ceremony, but the negotiation process is carried out by experts. However, these details do not mean that negotiations won't take place—'inter-delegation' discussions will certainly begin," the analyst added.
According to Ozer, Turkey is well-positioned to play a significant role in the negotiations. "Türkiye's serious experience regarding negotiations and the trust of both sides in Ankara are very important factors for this process," the analyst stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking to journalists at the Kremlin on the night of May 11, proposed that Kyiv authorities resume direct negotiations without preconditions, which were interrupted by Ukraine in 2022. The dialogue is proposed to begin on May 15 in Istanbul.
The Russian head of state did not rule out that during these talks, the parties could reach a ceasefire agreement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that Russia is committed to seriously seeking ways for a long-term peaceful settlement. According to him, the goals of the proposed negotiations with Ukraine are to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and ensure Russia's interests.
In response, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine expects a ceasefire from May 12 and is ready to start negotiations with Russia in Türkiye on May 15. He voiced his position after Trump urged Ukraine to immediately accept the talks proposed by the Russian leader.
On May 10, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Prime Ministers of Britain and Poland, Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk, arrived in Kyiv amid reports that European countries intended to soon come forward with their own ceasefire initiative, similar to the American one.
There, Macron stated that stopping arms supplies to Kyiv is not part of the 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine proposed by the "coalition of the willing." He again threatened to impose additional sanctions against Russia if it rejected the initiative put forward by the Europeans.
According to Bloomberg, on Saturday, the leaders of the U.K., France, and Germany thought they had secured agreement from Trump to back a plan for a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday, with coordinated U.S. and European sanctions on Russia to follow if Moscow continued strikes on Ukraine. However, Trump declined to publicly back that timeline and instead urged Zelenskyy to meet Putin in Türkiye this week.
Former NATO advisor and retired Swiss General Staff Colonel Jacques Baud claimed on YouTube that European leaders have no place in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul.
"Putin's proposal clearly states what Russia needs: honest negotiations. They have always said they are ready for negotiations. But they don't need Europeans and other parties," he said.
The former colonel also noted that Moscow's proposal is more constructive than the endless ultimatums from the E.U., which he described as "permeated with hatred toward Russia."
"Putin bypassed the European ultimatum and prepared his proposal, which gives a chance to end the conflict. [...] Now they will be able to force Ukraine to talk and reach an agreement," Baud concluded.
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