Kaja Kallas, who serves as the EU’s chief diplomat, stressed on Sunday that Ukraine and the EU must be part of any agreement reached between the United States and Russia. She also announced that a meeting of foreign ministers will take place on Monday to determine the way forward.
According to Kallas, the United States has the influence needed to push Russia into serious negotiations. She emphasised that any arrangement between Washington and Moscow must involve Ukraine and the EU because the matter directly concerns the safety of Ukraine and the whole European continent.
The meeting of foreign ministers will be held virtually on Monday afternoon. Kallas explained that discussions will also touch on recent developments in the Middle East and Gaza.
Position on Territorial Integrity and Peace Talks
Kallas reaffirmed that international law makes it clear that all temporarily occupied areas are part of Ukraine. She cautioned that any political settlement must not create conditions that could allow further aggression against Ukraine, NATO allies, or Europe.
Her remarks followed statements by Donald Trump on Friday, where he said he would meet with Vladimir Putin even if the Russian leader declined to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly insisted that Ukraine must be directly involved in any talks aimed at ending the war. He warned that agreements made without Kyiv’s participation would work against peace and bring no results, describing them as decisions that would fail from the start.
United EU’s Stand on Ukraine’s Role in Negotiations
On Sunday, EU leaders, including President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Starmer, President von der Leyen, and President Stubb, issued a joint statement reinforcing the position that the road to peace in Ukraine cannot be determined without Ukraine’s input.
They also declared that changing international borders through the use of force is unacceptable. The statement suggested that the current military frontline should serve as the point of departure for any talks.
Russia has put forward a ceasefire plan involving the exchange of the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk for a complete halt in fighting. Reports indicate that Ukrainian and European representatives have countered Russia’s proposal with their plan.
Ukraine and Europe’s Counterproposal
This counterproposal was presented to US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg, and Steve Witkoff. It restated that Ukraine and Europe must be part of any discussions with Russia, while also demanding that a ceasefire be established before other measures are considered.
Officials confirmed that this counterproposal was shared during a meeting with senior US representatives in the United Kingdom on Saturday.
