France, Germany up pressure on Putin over Ukraine-Russia talks
France and Germany on Friday vowed to step up pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine, threatening further sanctions if president Vladimir Putin failed to turn up for talks with Ukraine’s leader.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Putin would have “played” US President Donald Trump if the Russian leader failed to fulfil a pledge to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added that Putin seemed “unwilling” to hold such a meeting and that Russia’s three-year invasion looked like it would last “many more months”.
The White House later said that Trump was still working with both sides to end the war.
Trump moved to restore dialogue with Moscow at the start of his second presidency, but diplomatic efforts to end the conflict sparked by Russia’s February 2022 invasion of its neighbour…
Aaron-Wooi Yik’s medal streak ends in Paris