EU diplomacy chief: Russia 'playing games', there cannot be talks under fire
There must be a ceasefire for any peace talks to begin, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said, stressing that Russia continues to shell Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists in London, where a Weimar+ meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland and the EU is taking place on Monday, Kallas noted that one of the topics of discussion will be the war in Ukraine.
Kallas emphasized that during the night, the Russians attacked Ukraine with drones more than 100 times.
“In order to go into any peace talks, there has to be a ceasefire. We also need to see that Russia wants this, to show goodwill to sit down and talk to Ukrainian. It is not there,” the head of EU diplomacy stated.
When asked if she would like to see Putin in Turkey on Thursday, Kallas said: “If they [Russians] are continuing bombing Ukraine all the time, if there is no ceasefire, there cannot be talks under fire.”
“We want to see also that Russia wants peace. It takes two to want peace, it takes only one to one want war. And we see that Russia clearly wants war. It has been over two months already since Ukraine agreed to unconditional ceasefire. Russia has just played games. I think they are playing games right now as well,” the head of the EU diplomacy stated.
She called for putting pressure on Russia "to really want peace, and to sit down and to talk with Ukraine." In particular, Kallas emphasized that work is underway on the 17th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, which should be adopted at the Foreign Affairs Council next week. In addition, Kallas welcomed the sanction package initiated by Senator Lindsey Graham in the United States.
