EU demands unconditional 30-day ceasefire, warns of harsher sanctions against Russia

In a statement on social media platform X, cited by Ukrinform, von der Leyen emphasized: “Today, the Coalition of the Willing convened. We support the proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire. It must be implemented without preconditions to pave the way for meaningful peace negotiations. The ball is now in Russia’s court.”

She added that the European Union stands ready to intensify pressure on Moscow: “We stand ready to maintain strong pressure on Russia and impose further biting sanctions in the event of a breach of a ceasefire. Our objective is clear: a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, which is vital for security and stability across our continent.”

European Council President António Costa echoed this position, voicing strong support for the ceasefire proposal.

“From New Zealand and Australia to Canada, alongside European nations, a Coalition of the Willing has united to help Ukraine defend itself and pursue peace. Today, we gathered not to reflect on the past, but to work towards a just and lasting peace in the present. We strongly support the U.S. and Ukraine’s unconditional 30-day ceasefire proposal, which could pave the way for meaningful peace talks,” Costa stated.

He confirmed the EU’s readiness to impose additional sanctions if Russia fails to uphold the ceasefire.

“Our commitment to supporting Ukraine remains steadfast, and we will continue to leverage EU instruments for future military and security guarantees,” Costa concluded.

As reported earlier, in the morning of May 10, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Prime Ministers Keir Starmer of the UK and Donald Tusk of Poland arrived in Kyiv.