Europeans and Zelenskiy agree Russian stance is 'unacceptable', Starmer says

TIRANA (Reuters) - The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland agreed connected Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Russia's presumption successful bid talks was "unacceptable" and besides consulted with U.S. President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

The archetypal nonstop bid talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine successful much than 3 years took spot successful Istanbul connected Friday.

They lasted good nether 2 hours, with nary evident motion of advancement truthful acold successful narrowing the spread betwixt the sides, and a Ukrainian root called Moscow's demands "non-starters".

Starmer made his comments successful a little associated connection with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk astatine a European Political Community acme successful Tirana, Albania.

Starmer said the leaders had met with Zelenskiy - who is besides astatine the acme - to sermon the Istanbul talks and had besides had a telephone with Trump.

"The Russian presumption is intelligibly unacceptable, and not for the archetypal time," Starmer said.

"And truthful arsenic a effect of that gathering with President Zelenskiy and the treatment with President Trump, we are present intimately aligning and coordinating our responses and volition proceed to bash so," helium said.

The leaders did not instrumentality immoderate questions from reporters.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Ingrid Melander)