By Jerry Williams
The European Union’s top diplomat has warned against pressuring Ukraine to surrender territory in exchange for peace, describing such proposals as a strategic trap designed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In her first UK interview since EU leaders joined White House-led peace talks, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas told the BBC that allowing Russia to keep occupied Ukrainian land, such as the contested Donbas region, would legitimize aggression. “That’s the trap Putin wants us to walk into,” she said.
Her comments came amid renewed international debate over territorial concessions, following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion of a land swap to end the war.
Ukraine has rejected any deal that would cede territory to the Kremlin. Over the past decade, Russian military operations in Donbas have displaced more than 1.5 million people.
Kallas, who is currently on the Kremlin’s wanted list, also emphasized the need for “credible and robust” security guarantees for Ukraine. “The strongest security guarantee is a strong Ukrainian army,” she said, admitting few concrete steps have been taken so far.
She noted that it is up to the “coalition of the willing”—a group of NATO-aligned states—to define what each country can contribute, although the nature of those contributions remains uncertain.
Her remarks follow a tense week of diplomacy. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted EU leaders including France, Germany, Italy, and Finland in Washington, Putin met Trump at a military base in Alaska. Kallas warned that the meeting had emboldened the Russian leader.
“Putin got everything he wanted,” she said. “No sanctions, a warm welcome—he’s laughing while increasing the killing.”
The Kremlin has made no concessions, she added, while the EU has moved to impose a 19th round of sanctions to pressure Moscow into meaningful talks.
Meanwhile, Trump has set a two-week window to evaluate the progress of peace talks, telling Newsmax he may consider “a different tack” if there’s no movement.
Zelensky remains unconvinced. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said Russia is trying to avoid any direct talks. “They don’t want to end this war,” he stated.
The Ukrainian leader also urged Western allies to clarify security arrangements within the next 7–10 days. “We need to understand which country will be ready to do what,” he said.
Tensions escalated further after Russian missiles struck 11 Ukrainian locations on Thursday. One person was killed and over a dozen wounded in Lviv, a city near the Polish border.
Zelensky condemned the attack, accusing Russia of acting as if “no global efforts” existed to stop the war.
European leaders echoed his doubts about Putin’s intentions. Finnish President Alexander Stubb called the Russian leader “rarely to be trusted.” French President Emmanuel Macron was more blunt, branding Putin “a predator and an ogre at our doorstep.”
Zelensky has repeatedly offered to meet Putin in “any format” but said on Thursday there is still “no sign” that Moscow intends to engage in serious negotiations.
