EU top diplomat signals pivotal week in Ukraine negotiations

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said this week could be decisive for diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, as US representatives held talks with the Ukrainian delegation and are now preparing to travel to Moscow.

“It is clear that Russia does not want peace, and therefore we need to make Ukraine as strong as possible so that it is ready to stand up for itself in this very, very difficult time,” Kallas stated, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

Upon her arrival at the meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels, Kallas emphasized: “This could be a decisive week for diplomacy. Yesterday we heard that the negotiations in America were difficult but productive. We do not yet know the results, but today I will speak with the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, as well as with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.”

When asked whether the US can be trusted “to find a good solution for Ukraine,” Kallas said: “Ukrainians are there themselves. If they were together with Europeans, they would certainly be much stronger, but I believe that Ukrainians will stand up for themselves.”

On the role of Europe in strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position, Kallas highlighted two key measures: “One is pressure on Russia regarding further sanctions, a reparations loan, which they are very afraid of, and the other is also providing them with military, financial and humanitarian support so that they can hold out longer than Russia.”

The US-Ukraine talks on November 30 “focused on where the de facto border with Russia would be drawn under a peace agreement.” The report also indicates that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to discuss territorial issues directly with US President Donald Trump.

By Vafa Guliyeva