There is no peace in Ukraine because Russia does not want it, and Vladimir Putin refuses to hold peace talks.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said this in an interview with the Financial Times.
“There is no point in pressuring Zelenskyy to agree to negotiations when Putin does not want to engage in dialogue. We cannot talk about peacekeepers in Ukraine when there is no peace. Why doesn’t it exist? Because Russia does not want peace,” Kallas said.
According to her, Russia has not changed its goals, and supporting Ukraine now is worth much less than the future consequences of the war.
“We have to be honest with ourselves on this issue. What are we really doing now?” she added.
Kallas also emphasized that the EU countries that have signed bilateral agreements on security guarantees with Ukraine should clearly define what these guarantees entail.
“An important question is: what do security guarantees actually include? If it’s not troops or long-range weapons, what will actually protect you when the enemy attacks you? Are these EU countries ready to actually act so that their guarantees are not just empty words?” she said.
Kallas also emphasized that the EU should not underestimate its strength and overestimate Russia’s power.
“We must do everything we can to strengthen Ukraine now, because the stronger it is on the battlefield, the stronger it will be at the negotiating table – if it comes to that,” the EU official summarized.