Kallas Rejects US-Russia Security Deal Without Europe

Russia must pay for the destruction it has caused in Ukraine, face accountability for war crimes and be prevented from using any peace agreement to rearm for another invasion, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Friday, Nov. 6.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Warsaw with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Kallas rejected any legal recognition of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory or restrictions on Ukraine’s military.

“Any agreement to end the war must prevent Russia from using force again and just using a pause to rearm and reattack,” she said.

“There can be no legal recognition of Russia’s claim to occupied Ukrainian territory,” Kallas stressed.

She also demanded Russia’s accountability for war crimes and violations of international law, compensation for destruction caused by the invasion, and the return of Ukrainian children deported by Moscow.

Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and right to choose its own alliances must be respected, she said, adding that there could be no limits imposed on the size of Ukraine’s armed forces.

“In short, concessions should be on the aggressor, not on the victim.”

Kallas said European governments were discussing a set of demands toward Moscow to ensure any settlement delivers lasting security rather than another opportunity for Russian aggression.

‘We won’t implement’ a deal made without Europe

Responding to a question about US President Donald Trump’s proposed broader security agreement involving Russia and Europe, Kallas warned that the EU would not implement arrangements negotiated without its participation.

“Any agreement that we are not party of, we are not going to implement either,” she said.

Kallas stressed that sanctions, frozen Russian assets, reconstruction and Ukraine’s EU accession all require decisions by European institutions.

She also criticized the pressure placed on Kyiv during negotiations.

“So far all the pressure has been on Ukraine, which is not correct, because we have one aggressor and one victim,” she said.

“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin does not have a veto over European security.”

Her remarks followed Trump’s prediction of a “very big” deal with Russia extending beyond Ukraine, while his envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner said Washington was working on a broader European security framework ahead of next week’s talks in Abu Dhabi.

Kallas rejected the suggestion that Europe’s existing security arrangements needed to be rewritten to accommodate Moscow.

“We already have European security architecture in place,” she said, pointing to NATO and the EU.

“The problem remains that Russia keeps breaking the treaties that underpin it.”

“We are not the mediator. We are firmly on the Ukrainian side,” she added.

Russia trying to ‘freeze Ukraine into surrender’

Kallas also warned that Russia was preparing another winter of attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, attempting to force the country into submission by depriving civilians of electricity, heating and water.

“Moscow attempts to freeze Ukraine into surrender, but we won’t let it happen,” she said.

She reported that at least 45 Ukrainian civilians had been killed in Russian airstrikes during the past week, warning that there was little sign of an imminent peace agreement.

To strengthen Ukraine’s resilience, Kallas said the EU had disbursed another €4.36 billion under its Ukraine Support Loan this week, while acknowledging that further assistance was necessary.

“Russia is stuck,” Kallas said, citing a record 54,000 Russian troops killed or wounded in October alone – losses she compared to the capacity of Warsaw’s National Stadium.

“Russia cannot sustain such losses on such scale indefinitely,” she added.

Kallas vowed continued pressure on Moscow through the EU’s 22nd sanctions package, restrictions on Russian diplomats, potential visa bans for former Russian combatants and measures against Russian sabotage across Europe.

“Russia’s attacks against Europe will come at an increasingly heavy price,” she warned.

Sikorski: Deal over Europe’s head ‘impossible’

Sikorski backed Kallas, rejecting any arrangement between Washington and Moscow that would determine Europe’s future without its participation.

“An arrangement about the future of Ukraine and of Europe above our heads would not just be unwise. It is actually impossible,” he said.

He stressed that Ukraine and Europe must agree to any arrangement affecting their future, citing the EU’s Lisbon Treaty and its established diplomatic representation.

Sikorski also insisted that negotiations must follow a clear sequence: first a ceasefire, then talks on lasting peace, and only afterward discussions on Europe’s broader security architecture.

“Ukraine should not negotiate its future under the pressure of attacks on civilians,” he said, referring to Russia’s continued war crimes and strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Poland also announced an additional 8 million zlotys for generators to strengthen Ukraine’s energy resilience ahead of winter.

Sybiha: ‘Russia cannot be a security guarantor’

Sybiha reinforced the European leaders’ position, demanding that Ukraine’s sovereignty and military capabilities remain protected in any settlement.

“Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Nothing about Europe without Europe,” he said.

He rejected restrictions on Ukraine’s armed forces, defense capabilities or right to determine its foreign policy.

“Russia is not and cannot be a guarantor of security for the European continent,” Sybiha said.

He warned against any return to agreements dividing Europe into spheres of influence.

“There will be no more spheres of influence, no second Yalta or Munich.”

Sybiha said Ukraine’s priorities for the upcoming Abu Dhabi negotiations included security guarantees, an energy ceasefire, de-escalation in the Black Sea, the return of deported Ukrainian children and prisoner exchanges.

He also called for greater European military assistance, new sanctions and faster progress on Ukraine’s EU accession.

As Kyiv Post previously reported, Sybiha and Kallas have insisted that Europe’s participation is essential to any lasting peace agreement.