The United States and its G7 allies have warned Russia that a failure to agree to a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine will lead to additional sanctions. In addition, they have also threatened to use some of its frozen assets to fund Ukraine’s defense in the ongoing war.
The G7 foreign ministers stated after a meeting in Canada, with United States President Donald Trump still pushing for President Vladimir Putin to sign a truce. Ukraine had already agreed to a ceasefire agreement that was supposed to last 30 days, but Russia has yet to put pen to paper.
In a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Washington is still investigating if Putin was trying to delay the negotiations on purpose. “The question is, are we moving towards a ceasefire, or is this a delay tactic?” Rubio said. While the G7 is threatening, Trump is yet to announce a sanction, hoping that both countries can be diplomatic about the negotiations.
Russia’s 300 billion euros in central bank assets have been frozen since 2022, with increased pressure mounting to use it against the country. According to Rubio, any truce will require both countries to make concessions. “I’ve never heard Trump say that Russia has a right to take all of Ukraine and do whatever they want there,” Rubio said.
Putin hesitates amid G7 threats
While negotiations are still at an impasse, the Russian military has advanced in Kursk, where Ukraine had previously reclaimed about 1,000 square kilometers. Although Putin mentioned that he was in support of a ceasefire, he conceded that issues need to be resolved first. Zelenskyy, on the other hand, feels he is using that argument to stall the negotiations.
In a recent tweet made by Trump on Truth Social, he mentioned that the Russian military had surrounded thousands of Ukrainian troops, noting that he urged Putin to spare their lives. However, the General Staff in Ukraine dismissed the claims, noting that the war was ongoing in the region and no Ukrainian soldier was surrounded.
In response to the statement, Putin urged Ukrainian troops to surrender, noting that it would align with Trump’s request. The United States temporarily cut off aid to Ukraine after pushing the country to a ceasefire deal. However, the administration has resumed assistance after Putin started stalling.
“The devil is in the details, and they will start offering you details to drag you into a dialogue, delay certain processes, and postpone the end of the war,” Zelenskyy said. He is expecting a “strong reaction” from Trump in response to Putin’s lack of commitment.
The hardest part of the negotiations will be what territory each country controls, with Zelenskyy noting that it will be the hardest part of any negotiations. “Ceasefire and territories are the most difficult moments [of a negotiation],” Zelenskyy said. “The first is difficult because it requires courage and political will, the second because it requires a difficult dialogue,” he added.