UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for increased economic pressure on Russia during the G7 summit. He emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not hold all the cards” in the war against Ukraine, and the international community must seize the favorable moment to compel the Kremlin to take peace initiatives seriously.
This is reported by Business • Media
“Putin does not hold all the cards” in the war against Ukraine, and the international community must take advantage of the moment to make the Kremlin take peace initiatives seriously.
New British sanctions and their impact
On June 17, the UK government announced a new package of sanctions aimed at Russia. The restrictive measures target four individuals, six companies, and twenty vessels, including oil tankers, shipping companies, and electronics suppliers for Russia. The main goal of these sanctions is to reduce Russia’s energy revenues and limit the resources that can be used to finance the war against Ukraine.
According to the British Prime Minister, further economic pressure could strengthen Ukraine’s position in negotiations and force the Kremlin to seek real paths to peace.
Trump’s position on sanctions and negotiations
At the same time, US President Donald Trump currently does not support the imposition of additional sanctions against Russia. He believes that their cost is too high for the United States and therefore expects more action from the European Union. The US President also expressed hope for an agreement between Ukraine and Russia in the near future.
Trump added that excluding Russia from the G8 in 2014 was a “big mistake” that, in his opinion, led to the war against Ukraine. He noted that Putin “was very offended when he was thrown out of the G8”, and now the Russian leader is only willing to communicate with him, complicating the negotiation process.
Additionally, the Trump administration recently disbanded the interagency task force that was working on strategies to pressure Russia to accelerate a peaceful settlement. This is seen as a signal of a softening of Washington’s position towards Russia and a reduction in support for Ukraine.