Kallas on ending war: This could be pivotal work week for diplomacy
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas predicts decisive events by the end of the working week in diplomatic efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
"This could be a pivotal work week for diplomacy, intense talks on ending Russia's war continue. Everyone welcomes the push for peace, except Russia," Kallas said in her statement to the press on Tuesday, following a meeting of EU defense ministers, which discussed Russia's war against Ukraine and European defense.
She said "in this war, there is one aggressor and one victim." "Our job is to do all we can to support the victim and not reward the aggression. The goal is to have a just and durable peace, not a deal that lays ground for a next war," Kallas added.
She called "solid financing for Ukraine" a key issue. "Ministers today insisted that we need to agree on the funding options as a matter of urgency... Our work to build consensus and funding continues. Risks need to be shared – that is very clear – the European Council in December will be crucial in this regard. Ministers also discussed increasing our military support to Ukraine. Europe has already provided over €187 billion to Ukraine, more than anybody else," the EU High Representative said.
Also discussed, according to Kallas, was how to mobilize additional private financing in the defense-industrial sector, in particular through the European Investment Bank.
She said the Netherlands had signed an agreement with Ukraine on Tuesday to set up a production line on its territory.
Answering questions from journalists, the EU High Representative said the Russians had "been very clear, that they have no interest in peace right now." "Again, we need to put them in the position where they need to negotiate. Right now, they are not in that position because they think that they can outlast us, and they also hope that there is a very good offer made, because they see that there is a lot of pressure to put on the victim, but no sacrifices asked from them, at least we do not know that any of the sacrifices have been asked to of them. So clearly, they want to negotiate with those who are just offering them something on top of what they already have. This is clearly their interest, but it should not be ours," Kallas said.
When asked what U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Stephen Witkoff will talk about with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and whether there is a threat that he will again try to force Ukraine to make more concessions, she replied, "Yes, I am afraid that all the pressure will be put on the weaker side, because that is the easier way to stop this war when Ukraine surrenders." "But this is not in anybody's interest, not in the interest of Ukraine, not in the interest of European Union, also not in the interest of the global, overall security," Kallas said.
