Photo: EPA
US negotiators have spent the past 18 months trying to push Ukraine toward capitulation on Russia’s terms, but European support has helped Kyiv resist, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on October 20.
“Although American negotiators have been trying for almost two years — now a year and a half — to push Ukraine toward capitulation, the reason Ukraine has not capitulated on Putin’s terms is that Europe has supported Ukraine,” Kallas told a plenary debate in the European Parliament.
The EU’s top diplomat said Europe had no choice but to continue supporting Ukraine. She recalled presenting EU foreign ministers with a “maximalist plan” for Europe’s participation in peace negotiations in February 2026.
Kallas argued that if Russia puts forward maximalist demands, Europe must present its own conditions to ensure a balance in the negotiations.
She also noted that Moscow wants sanctions lifted. Since decisions on sanctions fall under the European Union’s authority, Europe must have a seat at the negotiating table.
Brussels must clearly state its demands and avoid making concessions for free, Kallas said, stressing that the goal must be not merely a ceasefire but a lasting and just peace.
A meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and European representatives is scheduled to take place in Oslo. Witkoff is expected to attend in person, while Kushner will join by video link.
In an earlier interview with Bloomberg, Zelenskyy accused US President Donald Trump of pressuring Kyiv to make concessions to Russia. He said restrictions on satellite communications and delays in US missile deliveries were weakening Ukraine’s defenses ahead of winter.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine could consider suspending strikes on Russian oil refineries in exchange for additional Patriot missiles. Trump has pushed for an end to the attacks, citing the need to bring down high diesel prices. Zelenskyy proposed linking any pause to stronger protection for Ukrainian infrastructure.
