Sir Keir Starmer accused Vladimir Putin of “playing games” as he insisted sanctions on Russia cannot be eased until the war in Ukraine endsSpeaking alongside Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, the Prime Minister said the nations taking part in the “coalition of the willing summit” agreed economic pressure on the Kremlin must be maintained. The Prime Minister said the meeting was “bigger than we have had before”, with 30 countries plus Nato and the European Union represented.“There was absolute clarity that Russia is trying to delay and playing games, and we have to be absolutely clear about that,” he said.His comments were echoed by Mr Zelensky, who said: “I think that Keir almost said all the outcomes which are very important for us, no lifting any kind of sanctions until Russia will stop this war. And I think more pressure on it, more packages of sanctions.”He also called for a “common voice” to put pressure on Russia, which he said “does not want any kind of peace”.Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaking the terms of a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges in negotiating a broader peace.
