EU diplomat Kaja Kallas has cautioned against pressuring Ukraine to give up its territories in favor of Russia as part of any potential peace deal.
In her first interview in the United Kingdom, for BBC’s “Today” program, Kallas stated clearly:
“Territorial concessions to Russia are a trap that Putin wants us to fall into.”
Her remarks come at a critical moment in the peace process, following a new round of talks at the White House, where leaders of major EU countries met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, shortly after Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin at the Alaska summit.
Kallas, who is reportedly wanted by the Kremlin, also emphasized the importance of credible security guarantees for Ukraine:
“The best security guarantee is a strong Ukrainian army,” she said, warning that such guarantees “must not remain only on paper.”
While acknowledging that there are no concrete steps yet for creating a preventive force, she stated that it is up to the coalition of willing countries to decide how they will contribute.
