Europe Must Be Considered in Future Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, Says EUs Kaja Kallas

Vilnius, September 8 (Daily Kiran) : Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, stated that Europe must consider its interests in any future peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. During her visit to Vilnius, Lithuania, she emphasized that commitments from Europe will be necessary in upcoming negotiations.

Kallas made her remarks at a joint press conference with Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius. This follows a recent visit by U.S. negotiators Steve Vitkoff and Jared Kushner, who aimed to advance discussions to end the ongoing conflict.

When asked if the weekend talks had increased the chances for peace, Kallas noted that direct communication between Russia and Ukraine is essential. “It is clear that Europe cannot mediate between Russia and Ukraine. Both countries need to talk to each other. We have always supported Ukraine, so we are not neutral in this matter,” she stated.

She cautioned that any final peace agreement will include “many demands from Europe,” emphasizing that Europe should not give anything without receiving something in return.

On the same day, Kallas met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda to discuss the country’s priorities for its upcoming presidency of the EU Council. Nausėda highlighted that Lithuania will focus on issues such as European security and defense, EU expansion, competitiveness, internal security, and social cohesion during its term.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. diplomats Steve Vitkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday. This meeting lasted over three hours. Following this, Vitkoff and Kushner met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.

Earlier, two rounds of talks took place in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24 and February 4-5, involving representatives from Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. Another round of discussions occurred in Geneva on February 17-18, all aimed at finding a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, these trilateral talks have since stalled and remain on hold.