The European Union must focus on a new sanctions package to suffocate Russia's economy and force President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, France's foreign minister said.

The new package of EU sanctions comes one day before a direct round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey. View on euronews

Brussels holds Rama in high esteem, with EU officials praising him for his diplomatic skills and sharp wit. A reflection of this is the fact that Albania, within a year, has opened a majority of the EU accession chapters and is set to open some more by the end of this month.