Starmer: “Putin Must Pay the Price”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a sharp warning to the Kremlin on Friday, declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin must “pay the price” for rejecting peace efforts in Ukraine.

The comments came ahead of a European Political Community (EPC) summit in Tirana, Albania, where leaders from the EU and 20 other nations are gathered to discuss regional security and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A Message of Accountability

Putin’s tactics of stalling and delaying things, continuing to kill and cause bloodshed throughout Ukraine, are intolerable,

Starmer said, condemning Moscow’s refusal to engage in meaningful ceasefire talks.

His remarks, issued just before the summit, set the tone for a unified Western response amid renewed diplomatic efforts.

Although peace talks are underway in Istanbul, neither Putin nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already expressed doubt over the prospects for a breakthrough.

Zelensky, however, is present at the Tirana summit, where leaders are expected to coordinate efforts to “increase pressure on the Kremlin,” as reported by Digi24.

Sanctions Loom as Pressure Mounts

Starmer emphasized the need for a “total and unconditional ceasefire” and warned that if Russia continues to obstruct negotiations, the UK is prepared to intensify sanctions.

London is reportedly considering a sweeping new campaign targeting Russia’s energy sector in the coming weeks—a measure also supported by France.

These sanctions would extend current efforts to crack down on Russia’s so-called “ghost fleet” of oil tankers, used to bypass existing restrictions and export hydrocarbons covertly.

Both the European Union and the UK have already expanded enforcement against these vessels in recent days.

As the conflict grinds into its fourth year, Western leaders appear determined to hold Moscow accountable—not only on the battlefield but through sustained economic and diplomatic isolation.