Zelenskyy at Albania summit calls for punishment for Russia if Istanbul talks fail

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Friday for a "strong reaction" from the international community if negotiations with Russia in Istanbul prove to be a sham, criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin's absence from the talks, which ended after just two hours despite resulting in the largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the war.

President Emmanuel McRon of France declared unacceptable the Russian side's refusal to respond to calls for a ceasefire in the conflict in Ukraine, a statement that the French leader made at a joint press conference with the leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland following the European Political Community summit in Albania, transmitting France 24.

Zelenskyy at Albania summit calls for punishment for Russia if Istanbul talks fail

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that if the Russian delegation at the negotiations in Istanbul proves unable to deliver results in the form of a ceasefire, serious sanctions must be imposed on Russia.