European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Tuesday that she will propose a list of concessions that Europe should demand from Russia as part of any settlement to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Kallas emphasized that Europe must have a decisive role in peace negotiations. “Everybody around the table, including the Russians and the Americans, needs to understand that you need Europeans to agree,” she said. She added that the conditions should target Russia, not Ukraine, which has already faced intense pressure.
Kallas said the list would be presented to EU member governments in the coming days. Among the potential demands are the return of all Ukrainian children abducted during the war and limitations on Russian military forces. She did not provide further details on other concessions under consideration.
European officials note that the EU holds significant leverage, including some €210 billion in Russian assets frozen across the bloc, which could form part of any settlement discussions.
The announcement comes amid concerns that U.S.-Russia negotiations have progressed with limited European involvement. While the United States has led direct talks with Russian officials, some European nations have recently expressed interest in engaging directly with Moscow.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s top foreign policy adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, visited Moscow last week for discussions with Russian officials. Some EU representatives have also suggested appointing a dedicated EU envoy to lead talks with Russia. Kallas stressed that such a step should follow a clear internal agreement on the bloc’s conditions.
“If we don’t stand up for anything, there’s no point for us to be around the table,” Kallas said. “It’s important that we discuss what kind of concessions we need to see from the Russian side in order to have a sustainable peace.”
