Kallas believes this week could be crucial for peace talks

The current week could be decisive for the course of negotiations on establishing peace in Ukraine, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas before the start of the EU Council meeting on Foreign Affairs at the level of defense ministers, the Kyiv-based ezine Evropeiska Pravda has said.

"This could be a decisive week for diplomacy. Yesterday we heard that the negotiations in America were difficult but productive. We do not know the results yet, but today I will talk about this with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, as well as with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine," Kallas said.

It is noted that Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal will personally attend the meeting of the EU Council in Brussels, when the issue of assistance to Ukraine will be discussed.

"We have two broad themes. The first is how to continue to support Ukraine, and the second is about our own defense readiness and defense capabilities, which we need to build up," Kallas said, adding that at the moment "it is clear that Russia does not want peace, and therefore we must make Ukraine as strong as possible so that it is ready to stand up for itself in this very, very difficult time."

"I believe that Ukrainians will stand up for themselves," she said.