Kallas Warns EU Against Weakness on Russia

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned against the European Union putting itself into a position of weakness in relation to Russia, saying Moscow has long delayed genuine negotiations on Ukraine while pretending to be willing to engage, Politico reports.

Europe should not "humiliate" itself by initiating negotiations from the position of a supplicant, she said, but should instead pressure Russia to begin acting in earnest.

Meanwhile, the EU is stepping up its support for Kyiv, approving a €90bn loan and adopting a further package of sanctions targeting Russia's financial sector. European security is also increasingly under focus, particularly following Donald Trump's comments on the possible withdrawal of US troops from Germany.

Kallas argues that Russia is preparing for a long-term conflict with the West and that weakness could invite further aggression. European countries are therefore accelerating defense investments and preparing large-scale military funding programs.

(pir)