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EU Foreign Ministers held a video conference on diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
The European Union's High Representative, Kaya Kallas, said that any peace agreement must impose obligations on the aggressor and not the victim, warning that rewarding Russian aggression would put the continent's smaller states at risk.
Kallas stressed that the focus of the discussions should be on concessions that the Russian side, not Ukraine, must make. She warned that imposing conditions on Kiev, such as limiting the army or giving up territory, could lead to a new invasion in the future.
This statement came after the publication of a 28-point draft US-Russia agreement, which reportedly included favorable conditions for Moscow, including abandoning NATO membership and reducing the Ukrainian army to 600,000 troops.
According to Kallas, the discussion should move in the opposite direction: "If we want to prevent the continuation of the war, we must limit Russia's military and its military budget."
She recalled that Russia has attacked 19 countries in the last 100 years, while none of them has attacked Russia, describing Moscow's high military capacity as a direct threat to European security.
After the draft was leaked, European governments rallied to Ukraine's support to strengthen its negotiating position. At a meeting in Geneva on Sunday, the US and Ukraine agreed on a revised version of the text, which has not yet been made public and is facing resistance from Russia. Key issues remain open ahead of a possible meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.
The EU has made it clear that Ukraine should have the right to organize its own armed forces, currently estimated at 800-850 thousand soldiers.
"It is the sovereign right of every country to decide on the size of its military," Kallas said, calling the debate over limitations a "trap set by Russia."
Kallas also stated that Moscow has entered into talks because “Putin cannot achieve his objectives on the battlefield.” According to her, there is no sign that Russia is seeking a ceasefire, on the contrary, it is intensifying military activities.
On the other hand, several European foreign ministers called for increased economic, military, and political pressure on Moscow until it shows a genuine will for peace.
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