Zelensky in a phone call with President Trump soon on the heels of the Istanbul meeting, which lasted just under two hours, touted that he’s willing to “take the fastest possible steps to bring real peace” – but the West needs to hold “a strong stance”. Also on the group call were the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland.
Zelensky after the phone call told reporters that “pressure on Russia must be maintained”. He stated: “Our position — if the Russians reject a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings, tough sanctions must follow.”
Kiev’s top European allies blasted Russia’s stance as presented in Istanbul “unacceptable”:
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish leader Donald Tusk, said in a statement on Friday that “the Russian position is clearly unacceptable, and not for the first time,” according to Reuters.
And PM Starmer followed by saying, “As a result of that meeting with President Zelensky and the discussion with President Trump, we are now closely aligning and coordinating our responses and will continue to do so.”
But importantly, neither side has yet shut the door on the possibility of more rounds of direct Russia-Ukraine talks. Certainly the Trump White House wants to see this happen.