European Leaders Discuss New Sanctions on Russia as Peace Talks Yield Slow Progress

European leaders called for new sanctions to force Putin to the negotiating table after he skipped direct Russia–Ukraine peace talks in Turkey.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (2nd L) after speaking to British and Albanian troops about their involvement with training Ukrainian troops under Operation Interflex, during a visit to Tirana before the European Political Community Summit, on May 15, 2025. Leon Neal/AFP via Getty Images

European leaders discussed levying new sanctions against Russia on May 16, as a peace settlement between Moscow and Kyiv remains elusive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined a gathering of his European counterparts at the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania, on Friday to discuss regional security concerns, against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.