The European Union imposes new sanctions on Russia and threatens more if Moscow refuses to cease fire.

The European Union has agreed to impose a new package of sanctions against Russia, threatening to impose further sanctions if the country continues to reject the unconditional 30-day ceasefire proposed by the White House and the "Willing Alliance." This significant move comes as Volodymyr Zelensky challenges President Putin to engage in direct peace talks in Turkey, a format endorsed by Donald Trump. So far, the Kremlin has not confirmed whether the Russian president will indeed travel to Istanbul. Zelensky stated, "If Putin does not come and continues to play games, this is the final sign that he does not want to end the war." The initial agreement on the new sanctions, the seventeenth package since February 2022, was reached Wednesday morning during a meeting of EU ambassadors, and is expected to be officially approved by foreign ministers next week. Hungary did not oppose these measures, despite being one of the strongest critics of economic restrictions that almost prevented their renewal twice this year. Diplomats indicated that discussions among member states behind the scenes proceeded without major controversy, possibly indicating the limited scope of the proposal.