Brussels, Belgium. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she will propose a list of concessions that Europe should demand from Russia as part of a settlement to end the war in Ukraine. She said any peace deal would require European agreement.
Europe’s role in any settlement
Talks to end the war have mainly involved Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian officials, with Europeans consulted from time to time, but European officials say there can be no peace deal without them. Kallas told a group of news agency reporters in Brussels that “everybody around the table, including the Russians and the Americans, needs to understand that you need Europeans to agree.”
Conditions and proposed list
Kallas said Europe should place conditions on Russia rather than on Ukraine, saying Ukrainians have already been pressured a lot. She said she would propose a list to EU member governments in the coming days and, asked what it could include, cited the return of all Ukrainian children abducted during the war and limitations on Russia’s armed forces, without elaborating further.
European leverage and policy differences
European officials have pointed to leverage including about 210 billion euros ($250 billion) in Russian assets frozen in Europe, which may be part of any settlement. Most European nations have pursued a policy of diplomatically isolating Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, though some have recently spoken in favour of direct talks with Moscow amid concerns about extensive discussions between U.S. and Russian officials.
Contacts with Moscow and envoy idea
French President Emmanuel Macron’s top foreign policy adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, visited Moscow last week for talks with Russian officials. Some European officials have suggested appointing an EU envoy to lead talks with Russia, but Kallas said it was important for the bloc to decide its messages to Moscow before considering such an appointment.
What conditions do you think the European Union should demand from Russia as part of any settlement to end the war in Ukraine?
