Europe will never be neutral mediator in Ukraine war: EU chief

EU rules out neutral role in Ukraine conflict

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday that Europe "will never be a neutral mediator" between Russia and Ukraine, stressing that the bloc is firmly on Kyiv's side as it seeks to increase pressure on Moscow while defending its own core security interests. Speaking to reporters after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Limassol, the Greek Cypriot Administration, Kallas stated that the EU cannot pretend to be an impartial party while supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

At the same time, she emphasized that Ukraine and Russia would ultimately need to negotiate directly. "It is very important that we push Ukraine and Russia to talk to each other, because there are so many issues where only they can decide and nobody else," Kallas said, noting that while shuttle diplomacy by other countries is possible, the final decisions must come from the parties themselves.

Red lines and transatlantic coordination

Kallas said that EU ministers held "really thorough discussions" on what concessions Europe could ask from Moscow and what the bloc's "red lines" should be in any future negotiations. She warned that limiting Ukraine's military capabilities while Russia continues to re-arm would be unacceptable, arguing that any gaps for Ukraine's army must be matched by limitations on Russia's forces.

She noted ministers also discussed ways to increase global pressure on Russia, adding that the EU is preparing a new package of sanctions against Moscow. Kallas stressed that EU efforts must remain "complementary" to those of the United States, stating: "We are not coming in instead of the United States, but we are actually addressing the issues that they haven't been addressing in these talks."

Middle East tensions and Hormuz

Beyond Ukraine, EU ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East, including tensions involving Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank. Kallas warned that the Strait of Hormuz remains "caught in a dangerous gray zone between war and peace," while saying the EU could contribute technical expertise to any future nuclear negotiations involving Tehran.

She said ministers discussed Lebanon, where the ceasefire "appears to be more nominal by the day," warning that a return to full-scale war is "a real possibility." Kallas added that possible restrictions on trade linked to Israeli occupiers, as well as potential sanctions on some Israeli ministers, were also discussed following Israeli Cabinet Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's ill-treatment of Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla activists. However, the top diplomat noted that the informal Gymnich-format meeting was not intended for formal decisions and that the issue would return to the agenda during the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.