EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expresses skepticism about Russian negotiators’ seriousness amid possible Zelensky-Putin summit discussions.
Kaja Kallas: If you ask for little, you get nothing
On Monday, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kalla, when asked if she would negotiate with Russians as an EU representative, stated: “I think it’s more important who talks to Russia than what we want to talk about with them. We need to see concessions.”
“Whoever talks to Russia, whether bilaterally or as a representative of Europe, must also ask themselves in what issues Russia is willing to concede. If you ask for a lot, you get little; if you ask for little, you get nothing; and if you ask for nothing, you will additionally pay. That is very clear,” she noted.
“Let’s focus on what kind of concessions we want to see from the Russian side, not on who raises the issue of concessions at the table,” Kallas emphasized.
Possible Zelensky-Putin Summit
Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, did not rule out in an interview with Fox News that a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin could take place within three weeks. A scenario involving the participation of the US president in these talks is also possible.
Witkoff noted, however, that Donald Trump “does not want to participate in the meeting until he is sure that he can bring it to an end and achieve the best possible result.”
“And he is the only one who has such power. So I hope you will hear good news in the coming weeks,” the US president’s envoy concluded.
“I do not share the optimism”
On Monday, Kaja Kalla commented: “Looking at the signs, I do not share this optimism because the negotiators on the Russian side are not really serious and do not want to talk about anything political.”
“Of course, we have seen great pressure on Ukraine to concede and give up, but they are not willing to surrender and this would not bring lasting peace. I am not so optimistic and I do not expect results in the coming weeks and months,” Kallas summarized.
