With US President Donald Trump just days away from meeting his Russian counterpart in Alaska, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs told The National that President Vladimir Putin is not serious about peace with Ukraine.
“I think it's important to understand that Putin is really playing games,” said Kaja Kallas. “I mean, he wants to have a photo with the most influential person on Earth, President Donald Trump, and then he wants the postponement of sanctions."
Convening an emergency virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, Ms Kallas said that as long as Russia’s President can be seen to negotiate, Mr Trump’s threat of sanctions won’t materialise. The White House has previously threatened to impose unspecified new sanctions on Russia if it does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
“The question is, what [does] everybody else get out of this meeting? If President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy would be there, then it would be negotiation,” said Ms Kallas. “If Europeans would be there, it would also be negotiation.”
Despite Europe having been effectively pushed out of the peace process entirely by the White House, EU foreign ministers have demanded an unconditional ceasefire before any peace deal is made.
“For any deal to work, you have to have Ukrainians, because Russia has attacked Ukraine,” Ms Kallas told The National. “The war is conducted on European and Ukrainian soil. So, Ukrainians have to agree to whatever the deal is.”
Also discussed during Monday’s meeting was the bloc’s position on Gaza, a situation Ms Kallas calls “extremely grave”.
“The recent decision of the security cabinet of Israel regarding expanding the military operation in Gaza is widely condemned by Europe, and also the killing of journalists in Gaza is condemned,” Ms Kallas said. “The question is, what can we do?"
Asked if sanctions on Israel were finally on the table, Ms Kallas responded: “We have 27 member states that have very different views, but where we all agree is that we support the two-state solution. Where we all agree is that the humanitarian situation needs to improve.
“That's why we are putting the pressure on Israel to let more aid in and provide the humanitarian aid that the people need, because the situation is really untenable.”
