New Bucha could happen: Kallas says EU urges US not to give up Donbas
Photo: Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas (flickr.com)
In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has urged American partners not to pressure Ukraine into making concessions over Donbas, pointing to the tragedy of Bucha as a key reason.
Bucha as the argument
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs reminded why peace is not just about lines on a map.
"Today we are here to commemorate the liberation of Bucha – a suburb of Kyiv where regular people lived. And when the Russians occupied, then the people suffered immensely,” Kallas said.
According to her, Bucha is the main answer to those who suggest just giving up the occupied territories. People live on those lands, and what happened in Bucha shows what would happen to them.
"It is never only about territories. If somebody says, 'Why don't you just give this territory up?' There are also people living on those territories. And what we saw in Bucha is what is going to happen to those people in the occupied territories," she said.
Kallas added that this is why the EU is trying to explain the issue to everyone, including American counterparts, stressing that Ukraine should not be pressured.
Why giving up Donbas won’t bring peace
Kallas explained that concessions to an aggressor do not stop wars; they only delay them.
"There are rarely cases where wars are so black and white. There is one aggressor and one victim. Of course, you know, if the victim were to surrender, you would have a quick deal. But that is not the long-lasting peace, because the appetite for the aggressor would only grow," she said.
According to her, Donbas is not Russia's final goal if it is handed over so easily.
"They haven't been able to conquer it in 12 years. And now they hope that it will be delivered to them around the negotiation table," she added.
When asked whether these arguments would resonate with the Americans, Kallas responded cautiously.
"We have been raising these issues, and they are saying that they are mediating between the demands. But of course, it's clear that the Russian demands are unreasonable," she said.
What we know about Russia's demands and the US position
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said the United States had presented Moscow with a number of interesting proposals on ending the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, he noted that these proposals are not yet being implemented, but Washington, in his view, could influence Kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had proposed that the United States sign security guarantees even before the war ends, so that Congress could approve them immediately after hostilities stop.
The American side declined. For now, a key condition for receiving such guarantees remains the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas.
On March 31, Russia also issued a new ultimatum to Ukraine — demanding that Ukrainian troops leave Donbas within two months.
