Volodymyr Zelensky attends a summit in Brussels, attended by European leaders and Kaja Kallas. According to the head of EU diplomacy, forcing Ukraine to enter into hasty negotiations with Russia to end the war could result in a “bad deal” for Kyiv.
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Meeting in Brussels, European leaders have several topics to discuss. Starting with Ukraine.
After a meeting on Wednesday with NATO chief Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky participated in this summit this Thursday.
While Brussels and Kyiv fear the arrival of Donald Trump at the White House, the Ukrainian president calls on Europe and the United States for unity.
“We need great unity between the United States and the EU and the countries of Europe. We need that unity to achieve peace. And I think it’s only together, the “The United States and Europe can really stop Putin and save Ukraine.” said the Ukrainian president.
A unity sometimes undermined by certain discordant voices within the 27, such as those of Hungary or from Slovakiaor unilateral acts, such as the recent telephone conversation between the German Chancellor and Vladimir Putin.
And while many voices are being raised to call on Ukraine to accept peace negotiations, also encouraged by Donald Trump, Kaja Kallas calls for restraint.
“Any attempt to negotiate too soon will actually be a bad deal for Ukraine. All other actors in the world are carefully watching how we act in this matter and that is why we really need to be strong. Syria is showing us that the Russia is not convinced and that we should not underestimate our own power.”declared the head of European diplomacy.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, a strong supporter of Kyiv, expressed a similar view, believing that “Russia shows no desire to negotiate” and that, therefore, any openness to discussion is counterproductive.
“I hear rumors about possible peace negotiations and my opinion is that it is probably too early because Russia is currently in offensive mode”said Nausėda.
“If we try to make something out of this situation, it will not be a just and lasting peace. It will be an unjust and unsustainable peace.”
According to Nausėda, the EU should go beyond promises “rhetorical” and focus on strengthening its military and financial support for Ukraine in order to place the country in the strongest possible position before entering into any negotiations.
“Unfortunately, we are not keeping our promises”he lamented. “We made a lot of promises, but we couldn’t keep them.”
“The situation is really complicated and we have to be honest with ourselves,” he continued. “We really need to be a global strategic player. And we can only become such a player if we commit to making decisions instead of talking, talking and talking.”
The prospect of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia has gained ground in recent months, particularly after Donald Trump’s victory in the United States. During the campaign, Trump promised to reach a deal to end the war “in 24 hours”without specifying how. His team has since raised avenues, such as the threat that the United States would cease its military support if Ukraine did not agree to begin talks with Russia. Conversely, America would step up its aid if Russia refused to engage.
Another initiative, which is not yet official: the possibility of establishing a peacekeeping mission inside Ukraine in order to preserve the future agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron has made it clear that Europe should consider putting troops on the ground, which for other countries remains highly controversial.
ADVERTISEMENT“The priority is for the Ukrainians to win the war and push out the Russians. Then we can talk about peace,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, when asked about Trump’s initiative and a possible peacekeeping mission.
“We must be very open if at some point the war is won and Ukraine has been able to repel the Russians. Everyone will have to play their role to maintain the peace and provide tangible security guarantees”added De Croo.
His Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, did not rule out the establishment of a peacekeeping mission, but said the debate was “a little premature” and that it was rather a question “for the future”.
“As of yet, we see no indication from Russia that it wants to move one way or another toward peace.”declared Harris upon his arrival in Brussels. “While you rightly ask me this question, Russia continues to bomb Ukraine”.
ADVERTISEMENTThursday’s summit comes at a perilous time for Kyiv, with Russian forces gaining ground in the country’s east and North Korean soldiers fighting in the Kursk region, some of them would have already been killedaccording to American and Ukrainian officials. North Korea’s participation, estimated at around 11,000 troops, has widened the scale of the war and offered Russia a critical lifeline to offset its heavy losses on the ground.
