German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius has stated that if a 30-day ceasefire is not established in Ukraine by the end of Monday, Berlin, together with its European partners, will begin preparing new sanctions against Russia.
Quote from Kornelius: "The clock is ticking– there are still twelve hours until the end of the day.".
Details: Kornelius said that Russia must agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine by the end of Monday, or it will face new sanctions.
In response to a question about whether this means that European countries will start preparing sanctions after Monday, Kornelius said: "Exactly".
On 10 May, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland demanded that Russia agree to an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days starting 12 May.
During a visit to Kyiv, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other heads of state and government warned Russia of sanctions if it refused to halt hostilities.
Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin claimed that he is ready for "direct talks" with Kyiv in Istanbul on Thursday 15 May. »