Europe’s leading diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called on Russia on Monday to demonstrate goodwill by agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
She highlighted that actions such as “returning Ukrainian children who have been deported to Russia” and “releasing prisoners of war” could serve as meaningful gestures of goodwill from Russia.
Addressing European foreign ministers in Madrid, where they convened to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, she also urged the United States to exert pressure on the Kremlin to bring an end to the three-year conflict.
In a related statement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized that Russia needs to provide a definitive answer to the U.S. regarding its willingness to pursue a path to peace.
U.S. President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with the stagnation in his attempts to negotiate a peace agreement, especially after adopting a more conciliatory approach towards Russia, which has been met with skepticism from his European partners.
Regarding the potential deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, which France and Britain are exploring, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated that the decision to permit foreign troops on Ukrainian territory rests solely with the Ukrainian government.
