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"Small states may be at risk", Kallas: There is no indication that Putin wants a ceasefire in Ukraine

2025-11-27 14:39:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"Small states may be at risk", Kallas: There is no indication that

European Union foreign ministers have held a video conference to discuss efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stressed that any peace agreement must impose commitments on the aggressor, not the victim. She also warned that if Russia's aggression goes unpunished, Europe's smaller states will be under threat.

Her statement came at a time when the US-Russia initiative to draft a deal has caused backlash, due to the leak of a 28-point draft, which allegedly included conditions favorable to Moscow, such as abandoning the prospect of NATO membership, giving up territory and limiting the Ukrainian army to 600,000 people. However, according to Kallas, the discussion should turn in the other direction.

"If we want to prevent the continuation of the war, then we must limit Russia's army and its military budget. After all, Russia is the one that has attacked 19 countries in the last 100 years, and some of them three or four times, while none of these countries has attacked Russia," noting that high defense spending poses a threat to European security.

After the draft was published, European governments supported Kiev in negotiating more favorable terms. During high-level talks in Geneva on Sunday, the US and Ukraine reached a revised text, which has not been fully made public and is facing resistance from the Russian side.

European governments and EU institutions insist that any agreement must allow Ukraine to freely organize its armed forces, which are currently estimated to number between 800,000 and 850,000 soldiers.

"It is the sovereign right of every country to decide on the size of its army," Kallas said, adding that the discussion about limiting the Ukrainian army is a trap set by Russia.

Kallas added that there is no indication that Russia wants a ceasefire, as it is not reducing military activity, but rather intensifying it. Several European foreign ministers have stressed the need for increased economic, military and political pressure on Moscow until it shows a genuine intention for peace. /CNA