INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
European leaders agreed at a summit in Paris on Thursday to tighten sanctions on Russia rather than ease them, as Britain and France
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies, seeking a coordinated policy after U.S
claims it is making tentative progress toward a ceasefire, a peace deal remains distant
summit, urging Washington to take a more decisive stance against the Kremlin
efforts to bring Russia to the negotiating table.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that lifting sanctions without a truce would be a
such a move.Beyond sanctions, European leaders discussed military support for Ukraine, including the potential deployment of European troops
for talks.Macron stressed the force would not be a peacekeeping unit or a substitute for the Ukrainian army but would serve as a deterrent
against future Russian aggression
However, not all European allies would participate due to logistical or political concerns.Zelensky acknowledged ongoing uncertainty over
involvement in future European discussions on the conflict.Despite the differences, Starmer hailed the summit as a historic show of European
30-day ceasefire through U.S
mediation, but Russia has set strict conditions for any such agreement, testing European patience.On Thursday, Kyiv accused Russia of
violating a U.S.-brokered agreement to refrain from striking energy infrastructure, citing an artillery attack that left Kherson without
followed reports that Russia and Ukraine had discussed a possible Black Sea ceasefire in parallel talks with U.S
officials in Saudi Arabia.
