Lithuanian Foreign Minister insists on sanctions if Russia fails to cease fire on May 12

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys is convinced that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is deliberately stalling to avoid a real path to peace. In a post on the X platform, he insists on additional sanctions against the aggressor country if it does not accept the May 12 ceasefire.

"Putin's response to yet another ceasefire proposal: a swarm of 100 drones dropped on Ukraine overnight. Putin is playing his usual game - using terror as leverage and stalling for time to avoid any real path to peace," the report says .

According to Lithuanian Foreign Minister, talking about peace when Russian bombs continue to fall on Ukrainian civilians is a farce.

He emphasized the position taken by European leaders: Russia must agree to a long-term ceasefire starting May 12, otherwise new sanctions will be imposed on the aggressor country.

"The fact that Putin rushed to hold a press conference less than 24 hours after European leaders, with the support of the United States, demanded an unconditional ceasefire tells us everything. This approach is working - and we must stick to it. Now we must follow through. If the Russian guns are not silenced by Monday, a new round of sanctions should be imposed - without hesitation," Budris concluded .

• on May 10, 2025, French President Macron, British Prime Minister Starmer, his Polish counterpart Tusk, and German Chancellor Merz arrived in Kyiv for a meeting of the "coalition of the willing", which includes more than 30 countries.
• On the same day, President Zelenskyy and partners had a phone call with US President Trump: Ukraine and all allies offer Russia a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting May 12 .
• At a nightly press conference in the Kremlin, Putin offered Ukraine to resume direct talks without preconditions starting May 15 in Istanbul. Trump called it a "potentially great day for Ukraine and Russia.".
• Zelenskiy said that Moscow must first agree to a ceasefire starting May 12, then Kyiv is ready to meet.