European Union foreign ministers met on Wednesday with a unified message: any peace agreement to end Russia’s war on Ukraine must impose obligations on the aggressor, not the nation under attack. High Representative Kaja Kallas, speaking after the meeting, criticised a leaked US–Russia draft proposal that included sweeping concessions favouring Moscow, including demands that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions, surrender territories still under its control, and cap its military at 600,000 troops. She stressed that the logic should be reversed, insisting that it is Russia’s military capacity and budget that must be constrained to prevent future aggression.
Kallas argued that meaningful restrictions on Moscow are essential if Europe hopes to avoid a repeat of the invasion. She noted that Russia spends nearly 40 percent of its budget on its military, warning that such levels of investment inevitably encourage further conflict and threaten regional stability. As the US-led push for a peace deal faces growing scrutiny, European governments have moved quickly to close ranks behind Ukraine, working with Kyiv to refine the terms of a revised text that still awaits full disclosure. Russia, however, has already signaled resistance to the new version.
Following high-level discussions in Geneva, a modified proposal was reached between the US and Ukraine, but the most sensitive issues were left for an expected face-to-face meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. European leaders remain adamant that Ukraine must preserve its sovereign right to determine the size of its armed forces, currently estimated at up to 850,000 personnel. With Moscow turning to diplomacy after failing to secure its objectives on the battlefield, will the next round of negotiations finally produce a deal that protects Ukraine’s long-term security? Visit www.jocomms.com for more news
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