All major European leaders have demanded that Vladimir Putin negotiate peace with Volodimir Zelenski in Ukraine. Starting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the top official of the EU's leading power, Friedrich Merz. "It is not just a war against Ukraine, it goes against the entire order of our continent," the German stated on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also done so, an ideologue of the European Political Community, the forum from which the demand to Russia was launched and which met today in Tirana. Italian Giorgia Meloni has also been one of the prominent voices in this European manifesto. "We will continue to stand by Ukraine and work to end this war immediately because our security and freedom depend on restoring the rule of law," she emphasized.
The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and even the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have expressed similar sentiments at the plenary session of the Community, with Erdogan referring to the peace opportunity as "historic." While not speaking at the meeting, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, in line with other leaders, criticized the "low level" of the Russian delegation sent to Turkey to negotiate with Ukraine. "The ball is in their court, they must want to play and be serious about wanting peace. All the pressure is now on Putin," emphasized the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
The gathering of key voices in Europe is unmatched, further highlighting the absence of the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, from this European political frontline. He did not address the media, did not speak at the plenary, was not seated with the major leaders, was not included in an AI-generated video where child versions of presidents and prime ministers greeted the Albanian people, and was pressured by Rutte, who stated that Spain will "undoubtedly" reach the goal of 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in defense spending, a target likely to be set at the upcoming summit in The Hague. The Spanish leader was completely sidelined on this crucial day.
In addition to the demands already mentioned, the European Political Community meeting in the Albanian capital also hinted at future actions against Russia, issued a warning to Putin, and called on US President Donald Trump. Von der Leyen announced that the imminent 18th sanctions package will target the Russian financial system and, for the first time, "ban" the Nord Stream. This refers to the gas pipelines through which Germany imported cheap gas from Russia, now halted due to the conflict, with further measures being taken.
Pressure will also be increased on the ghost fleet through which Russia continues to trade goods that are already sanctioned using vessels under third-party flags, and a lower maximum price that countries can pay for Russian oil will be set. The aim is to financially strangle the country.
Starmer issued a threat, stating that if Russia does not come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price. The tone against the Russian President is escalating, with the European diplomatic chief, Kaja Kallas, pushing for a war tribunal to judge Putin and his closest collaborators for the invasion of Ukraine.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Merz, Macron, Starmer, Zelenski, and the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, engaged in a call to Trump. They are part of the so-called Weimar Triangle plus the UK, countries that have been particularly committed to halting Putin and defending Ukraine.
"We are talking about the Istanbul meeting. Ukraine is willing to take the fastest steps possible to achieve real peace, and it is important that the world maintains a firm stance," Zelenski specifically posted on his X social media profile.
"Our stance: if the Russians reject a total and unconditional ceasefire and the end of killings, harsh sanctions must continue. Pressure on Russia must be maintained until they are willing to end the war. Thanks to all the people around the world who are helping," emphasized the Ukrainian leader in a post accompanying a very significant photo. It could be called historic, although the term has been so overused in recent years that its use risks diminishing the moment's significance.