Starmer said sanctions would be tightened if Russia refused the ceasefire.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at talks in Kyiv that London , along with countries of the "coalition of the willing," will expand military support for Ukraine and tighten sanctions against RUSSIA if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire, Sky News reports.

On May 10, French President Emmanuel Macron , German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Poland, Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk, arrived in Kyiv for a coalition meeting. Along with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they called US President Donald Trump to discuss efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine .

"It's clear to all five leaders here that if he [Russian President Vladimir Putin] rejects peace, he will face a response. We will tighten sanctions and expand military aid to Ukraine to force Russia back to the negotiating table ," Starmer said.

Previously, Germany's new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, made a similar statement. The EU, along with the US, is ready to increase sanctions pressure on Russia "if necessary" and if Moscow does not agree to peace talks, the German prime minister promised.

Trump had already called on Russia and Ukraine to agree to a 30-day ceasefire following his May 8 conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He added that he, along with European leaders, remains committed to establishing peace between the two countries.

The idea of ​​a 30-day ceasefire was voiced following talks between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia on March 11. Putin supported it but listed "nuances" that require further discussion. This included, in particular, the continuation of Western military aid to Kyiv.

Read RBC inTELEGRAM .