Kallas says she could represent Europe in talks on Ukraine

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed her potential role in European negotiators aiming to resolve Russia's war on Ukraine, according to European Pravda. Kallas arrived in Dublin for the European Political Community summit on November 12. EU leaders had already discussed this issue in 2024 when the current leadership was appointed.

According to Kallas, EU treaties clearly define European Council President Antonio Costa and the EU high representative, which is herself, as the representatives of Europe in security matters. However, she acknowledged that leaders could revisit this decision. Kallas, known for her hard stance against Russia, stated that it is not Europe's concern if Russia objects to her candidacy.

She emphasized that the main issue is Russia's noncompliance with agreements like the Helsinki Final Act and the Budapest Memorandum. Trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia took place in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, with Kallas not participating due to her role. The Ukrainian delegation included key members, while the Russian delegation was led by Vladimir Medinsky and included Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov for the first time.

The talks focused on security guarantees and prisoner exchanges, with the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War suggesting the Kremlin aims to simplify the talks by revisiting its 2021 ultimatums about NATO's presence in Europe. European representatives attended the talks but only on the sidelines. Former Ukrainian ambassador to the United States and France Oleh Shamshur criticized the situation, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged the EU to choose its negotiator.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz highlighted that the main issue is Putin's willingness to engage in joint talks.