Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas said that Russia could not be trusted after a phone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin resulted in a Russian deal to cease attacking Ukrainian energy facilities temporarily.
“If you read the two readouts from the call, it is clear that … Russia does not really want to make any kind of concessions,”
Kallas informed journalists during Brussels.
Two days earlier, Kaja Kallas, in reaction to the Russian leader’s pre-conditions to accept the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, said Vladimir Putin is
“presenting demands that are ultimate goals,”
Moscow does not want peace in Ukraine and cannot be trusted to reach such a goal, High Representative Kaja Kallas cautioned before a call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Why does Kaja Kallas doubt Putin’s peace intentions?
Russia
“will seize this opportunity to present all kinds of demands, and what we already see is that they’re presenting demands that are ultimate goals,”
Kallas stated after a gathering of foreign affairs ministers in Brussels.
Her remarks respond to Putin’s ambiguous reply to the White House’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, which Kyiv has already approved. The Russian leader has pointedly questioned certain “nuances” to be clarified, including whether Western stockpiles of weapons and ammunition would continue.
“So during these 30 days will (…) mobilisation continue in Ukraine? Will weapons be supplied there? Are these 30 days needed for the newly mobilised units to be trained? Or will none of that happen?”
He inquired during a press conference last week.
Putin discussed a way to tackle what he referred to as the “root causes” of the war, a term he often uses to demand the demilitarisation of Ukraine and a dedication to neutrality, both of which Kyiv adamantly denies.
“The ball is in Russia’s court,”
Kallas said.
