The French president's comments echoed those by German Chancellor Merz, who said European allies would roll out "a significant tightening of sanctions" on Russia if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire.

Three-day ceasefire in Ukraine that was unilaterally declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month was set to come into effect at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday (midnight Moscow time), as Russia prepares to mark the anniversary of its World War II Victory Day on Friday.

Zelenskyy said on X on Sunday morning that it was a “positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,” but insisted on a ceasefire first.

The announcement was made by leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine after a meeting in Kyiv, and a phone call with President Trump.

Three years after it seized control of Mariupol following a brutal 86-day siege, Russia is using a more subtle power to keep its grip on the Ukrainian port city: social media influencers. CNN’s investigation found that residents of the occupied city,

They said that if President Vladimir V. Putin did not agree to the cease-fire, more sanctions would be imposed.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Vladimir Putin is "too scared" to meet him in Turkey for ceasefire talks on Thursday

Latvia's intelligence service has warned of a potential Russian attack on NATO as the US-led military alliance continues to monitor a major build-up of Kremlin forces as the Ukrainian war rages on