French foreign minister threatens Putin with 'massive sanctions' if he refuses Ukraine peace talks

Barrot said that France's position is "very clear: we want peace, we want negotiations," and added that to unlock the talks, an "unconditional truce in air, sea, ground for 30 days" is necessary.

“President Zelenskyy has shown time and time again, that he is open to negotiation that he wants diplomacy that he wants peace. Meanwhile, Putin's only response has been more bombing,” he said.

Following the visit of leaders to Kyiv over the weekend, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the EU met in London on the morning of May 12 to discuss Ukraine’s future and broader security issues.

Barrot stated that during the meeting, France would reiterate its call "for diplomacy... and for massive sanctions if Russia once again refuses to engage seriously in diplomacy and continues its aggression... on the Ukrainian people."

Sanctions against Putin

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK President Keir Starmer, and Polish President Donald Tusk visited Kyiv on May 10 to show support for Zelenskyy and effectively issued an ultimatum to Putin, warning that a new sanctions process would begin on May 12 if Russia did not stop its attacks on Ukraine.

According to a Bloomberg source in a European government, US President Donald Trump approved their statement and indicated he would support them — even with additional sanctions if necessary.

Vladimir Putin spoke following the proposal from the US, Ukraine, and the EU for a 30-day ceasefire starting May 12. He rejected the proposal and suggested holding negotiations in Istanbul on May 15.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his readiness for negotiations on May 15 in Turkiye. He emphasized that he is waiting for Putin in Ankara but expects Russia's agreement to a general ceasefire.