EU advised not to rush into anti-Russian sanctions

European leaders have decided to wait until after the talks on Ukraine that are scheduled for May 15 in Istanbul before pushing the U.S. to impose fresh sanctions on Russia, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

U.S. officials made it clear to their European counterparts that they wanted to allow an opportunity for Russia and Ukraine to hold the talks before discussing stepping up pressure on Moscow, according to the report.

European leaders will urge U.S. President Donald Trump to introduce restrictions if Russian President Vladimir Putin declines the meeting with Vladimir Zelensky or Russia doesn’t agree to an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The U.S., however, has not yet made a decision on sanctions against Russia, Bloomberg reported.

On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Ukraine to resume without any preliminary conditions the direct talks they broke off in 2022. He proposed to start the talks on May 15 in Istanbul.