Kallas says Trump is 'very patient with Putin'
Photo: EU High Representative Kaja Kallas (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump is very patient with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum.
According to her, pressure is the only thing Putin really takes seriously.
"Why he wanted to have this meeting in Alaska was to really postpone the sanctions threat that was coming from the United States. So, he really doesn't want the sanctions ... And if we look at the effects on the Russian economy, we see that the sanctions really work," she said.
Kallas welcomed Trump’s diplomatic efforts, particularly praising the secondary sanctions against Russia’s trading partners. At the same time, she noted that if everyone had been tougher on Putin, the war would already be over.
"We have heard that President Trump is not a very patient man. He seems to be very patient with Putin, though. So yes, I think if we all would do more, then we could deprive Russia of the funds to wage this war," the EU High Representative said.
Kallas considers Putin’s demands to hand over Ukrainian territories not seized militarily to be a trap.
She stressed that many are starting to discuss what Ukraine should give up and argue that it is for Zelenskyy to decide which territories to abandon. However, she pointed out that this ignores the fact that Russia has made no concessions while the focus remains on what Ukraine must give up.
Kallas added that she sees no signs of Russia being ready for a genuine peace. On the contrary, Moscow is preparing to continue the war against Ukraine.
She noted that with winter approaching, Russia is preparing strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to cause as much suffering as possible. According to her, peace requires at least two parties, while war requires only one, and as long as Russia continues to seek war, peace will not be possible.
Talks on ending the war
Following negotiations in Alaska and at the White House, US President Donald Trump said he would like Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within two or three weeks.
However, the Russian side has repeatedly ignored this call from the US President, repeatedly coming up with excuses to avoid the meeting.
Zelenskyy noted that the deadline set by Trump expires on Monday, September 1, and said that Ukraine would remind everyone of it.
Meanwhile, Trump stressed that Russia will face serious consequences if Putin refuses to meet with Zelenskyy.
French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, believes Putin will deceive Trump if he does not agree to meet with Zelenskyy by Monday.
