Kallas hinted at list of EU conditions for Russia to end war in Ukraine
Photo: Kaja Kallas (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, said she will put forward a list of concessions that Europe should demand from Russia as part of ending the war in Ukraine. The proposed conditions would address, among other issues, the return of deported Ukrainian children and limits on Russia’s military, according to Reuters.
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Negotiations aimed at ending the war have so far largely involved representatives from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia, with European officials consulting intermittently. However, European leaders insist that a peace agreement cannot be reached without their involvement.
"Everybody around the table, including the Russians and the Americans, needs to understand that you need Europeans to agree," Kallas told a group of news agency reporters in Brussels.
She stressed that the European bloc has its own conditions that must be met.
"And for that, we also have conditions. And we should put the conditions not on Ukrainians, who have already been pressured a lot, but on the Russians."
Continuing, she announced that in the coming days, she would present EU member states with a list of demands for Russia. When asked what might be included, she referenced all Ukrainian children abducted during the war, as well as restrictions on the Russian military.
Defining contacts with Russia
Recent reports indicate that last week, French President Emmanuel Macron’s chief foreign policy advisor, Emmanuel Bonne, visited Moscow to meet with Russian officials.
Some European officials have also proposed appointing an EU representative to engage directly with Russia. Kallas emphasized, however, that the bloc first needs to clarify its messaging to Moscow before considering such a step.
"If we don't stand up for anything, there's no point for us to be around the table," Kallas said. "It's important that we discuss what kind of concessions we need to see from the Russian side in order to have a sustainable peace."
Europe seeks seat at Ukraine talks
Earlier this week, President Macron urged several European colleagues to revive dialogue with Russia. He emphasized that the ongoing war, now in its exhausting final stage, has inflicted heavy losses on both sides, creating an imperative to consider how to end the conflict.
Macron added that France has already reestablished technical-level contact with Moscow, stressing the necessity of European engagement with Russia.
About a week ago, Estonia and Latvia also called for resuming negotiations between Europe and Russia, underlining that European states must have a role in peace talks.
