The prime minister has said Vladimir Putin must “pay the price” for avoiding peace, after the Russian president failed to attend US-arranged ceasefire negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey.
Piling pressure on the Kremlin is expected to be the focus of discussions at the European Political Community (EPC) on Friday, as more than 40 leaders gather in Tirana, Albania, for the summit.
Leaders are set to reiterate calls for a full and unconditional ceasefire and demand Russia prove that it is serious about bringing its invasion to an end.
The summit convenes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Turkey this week, a move Downing Street describes as a good-faith effort to engage in peace negotiations, which Putin ultimately did not attend.
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In the event of continued Russian intransigence, further widespread sanctions are being prepared to degrade the Kremlin’s ability to prolong the war, with a particular focus on curtailing Russia’s energy revenues.
Discussions on these potential measures, which began in Kyiv over the weekend, are expected to be advanced by leaders in Tirana.
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Keir Starmer, commenting ahead of the summit, stated: “People in Ukraine and across the world have paid the price for Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and across Europe, now he must pay the price for avoiding peace.
“Putin’s tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, is intolerable.
“For the past three years, Ukraine has been fighting for peace and security, while Russia has sent thousands of young men and women to their deaths and compromised global stability.
“Alongside the US and more than 30 other partners, we have been clear that we will not stand for Russia kicking a ceasefire down the road.
“A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price.”
During the EPC summit, Starmer is scheduled to lead a security roundtable with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson and will hold discussions with key allies including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Ukraine regarding the latest US-led efforts to secure peace.
In a press notice overnight, Downing Street highlighted that Western sanctions have already led to forecasts for Russian energy revenue being cut by almost a quarter. Figures show oil and gas tax revenues were a third lower in dollar terms in 2024 compared to 2022, the first year of the war, with a further year-on-year decrease of almost 20 per cent recorded in February and March of this year.
The UK government asserts that supporting Ukraine and degrading Russia’s economic capacity to prolong the war is crucial for national and Euro-Atlantic security.
No 10 points to recent incidents of Russian aggression, including the revelation from Polish prime minister Donald Tusk this week that the Russian Secret Service was behind a major fire at a Polish shopping centre. Reference was also made to a landmark ruling by the International Civil Aviation Organisation attributing the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in July 2014 to the Russian Federation.
Last week, the prime minister announced the UK’s largest-ever package of sanctions targeting Russia’s so-called “Shadow Fleet” as part of efforts to stall the Russian economy.
The UK government also pointed to Russia’s increasing defence and security spending, now reportedly at 40 per cent of all federal expenditure and 8 per cent of its GDP — a post-1990 high and double the size of federal social services spending.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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