EU’s Kallas: ‘Putin can’t achieve his goals on battlefield, will try to do so through negotiations’

Russian President Vladimir Putin may attempt to use negotiations to achieve his goals after failing to secure significant gains on the battlefield, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday.

Kallas stressed that any peace agreement must include concessions from Russia, adding it was “essential” to ensure that Russia “never attacks again”.

“It is crucial now to continue supporting Ukraine and maintain pressure on Russia,” she noted.

At the same time, all EU member states welcome US efforts aimed at ending the war.

Kallas highlighted that the key issue was how Russia’s war against Ukraine ends. An unconditional ceasefire should be the first step toward peace, she said, although there are no signs that Russia is willing to take such a step.

“Russia is not reducing its military machine - in fact, it is strengthening it. We still need to move from a situation where Russia only pretends to negotiate to one where it will be compelled to negotiate for real. We are moving in that direction,” Kallas stated.

She also highlighted the significant impact of sanctions on Russia’s economy and the country’s failure on the battlefield.

“Putin cannot achieve his objectives on the battlefield, so he will try to achieve them through negotiations,” Kallas said.