EU chief warns security architecture talks risk Russia's 'trap'

Ceasefire as priority

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Friday that discussing Russia’s security architecture demands could shift attention away from a ceasefire before an informal meeting of EU leaders. “If we start to talk about what Russia is asking regarding the security architecture, we actually walk into the traps that Russia is setting us,” Kallas warned.

Kallas said any discussion of the European security architecture would divert attention from the need to secure a ceasefire first. “We are in a good position if we keep to the agreement that we push for the ceasefire. If we walk into the trap that we start to discuss the European security architecture, then I don't think we are in a better place,” Kallas said.

Europe’s role in talks

She stressed the need for a European presence throughout the peace talks, saying Europe should do more than simply sit at the negotiating table. “I hope that we are just not at the table, but we are actually also really influencing the outcome of these negotiations,” she said.

Kallas addressed a question about why she believed Russia did not want her as a negotiator. “They don't want anybody strong on the other side because they want to push through their maximum demands, like they have always done,” she said.

Negotiating leverage

Kallas said the choice of negotiator was not up to Russia, which wanted to push through its maximum demands. She rejected giving Moscow a say over who took part in the negotiations.

She added that allowing Russia to decide would give it leverage it should not have. “But it's not up to them to say. Otherwise, if we give them the right about this, we are actually really giving them the leverage that they shouldn't have,” Kallas added.