Kaja Kalls: Europe to Back Ukraine If Kyiv Rejects US-Russia Peace Deal

Europe will support Ukraine if Kyiv rejects a US-Russia peace deal, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated on February 13, in light of US President Donald Trump’s phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on February 12.

Speaking to press at the NATO Ministers of Defence meeting in Brussels, Kallas stressed that Ukraine and Europe must be involved in any peace agreement and criticized preemptive concessions to Russia as poor strategy.

Kallas rejected trading NATO membership for security guarantees, “It is clear that any deal behind our backs will not work. Any agreement will need also Ukraine and Europe being part of it. And this is clear that appeasement also always, always fails. Ukraine will continue to resist and Europe will continue to back Ukraine.”

While Kyiv has acknowledged that NATO membership may not be imminent and that some occupied areas might remain under Russian control, Ukrainian and European officials opposed Trump negotiating with Moscow without consulting them first.

Kallas added, “Without us at the table, you know, you can agree on whatever, but it will just simply fail because of the implementation is not there.”

Warning against unilateral concessions, Kallas pledged continued European support for Ukraine if it rejects an imposed deal. “Any quick fix is a dirty deal that we have seen before when it comes to Minsk, for example, and it will just simply not work. If Ukraine decides to resist, Europe will back the principles.”

Earlier, UK Defense Secretary John Healey emphasized that Ukraine must be central to any peace negotiations with Russia as NATO allies met in Brussels on February 13.