Europe will back Ukraine if it rejects US-Russia deal – Kallas
Photo: Kaja Kallas, Head of EU Diplomacy (Getty Images)
Europe will support Ukraine if it does not agree to a peace deal reached between the US and Russia. Any quick resolution would be a bad one and will not work, stated EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas during a conversation with journalists.
"Any deal behind our backs will not work. You need Europe and Ukraine to implement the agreement. Without us at the table, you can agree on whatever, but it will just fail because the implementation is not there," Kallas said.
She stressed that any quick solution would not work.
"If Ukraine decides to resist, Europe will back its principles. Yes, we are 20% less if the US decides to withdraw, but still, Ukraine will defend the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity. And we are there together," the EU foreign policy chief added.
Trump’s conversations with Putin and Zelenskyy
On February 12, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation, during which, among other topics, they discussed the war in Ukraine.
That same day, the US leader also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Later, Trump stated that he had conducted "great talks" with both Russia and Ukraine, adding that there is a good opportunity to end the war.
At the same time, a number of European and Ukrainian media outlets began suggesting that the direct conversation between Trump and Putin might indicate that the US could negotiate peace in Ukraine without Ukraine's or Europe's involvement.
In particular, the UK's Defense Secretary John Healey believes that negotiations on Ukraine cannot proceed without the country itself, and that Ukraine’s voice must be at the center of any negotiations.
For more on how Europe is reacting to the Trump-Putin talks, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
