EU Commission chief says bloc ready to impose more sanctions on Russia if ceasefire breached

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in Brussels, Belgium, May 9, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday backed a proposed unconditional 30-day ceasefire in the Russian war in Ukraine and said that the EU was ready to impose more sanctions on Russia if a ceasefire is breached.

"The ball is now in Russia’s court," von der Leyen wrote on social media platform X.

"We stand ready to maintain strong pressure on Russia and impose further biting sanctions in the event of a breach of a ceasefire," she said.

(Reporting by Lili BayerEditing by Tomasz Janowski)