Kaja Kallas to Present List of Concessions Europe Will Demand From Russia for Any Ukraine Peace Deal

BRUSSELS, Feb 10 — European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she will present a formal list of concessions that Europe should require from Russia as part of any settlement to end the war in Ukraine.

Kallas told a group of news agency reporters in Brussels that talks to end the conflict have so far mainly involved Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian officials, with European governments only intermittently consulted. She warned that the EU must have a clear, unified position if it is to be a meaningful participant in negotiations.

"Everyone around the table, including the Russians and the Americans, needs to understand that you need Europeans to agree," Kallas said. "And for that, we also have conditions. And we should put the conditions not on Ukrainians, who have been already pressured a lot, but on the Russians."

Kallas said she will circulate the proposed list to EU member governments in the coming days. When asked what the list might contain, she highlighted the return of all Ukrainian children abducted during the war and limitations on the size, deployment or posture of Russia's armed forces, but she did not provide a full list.

Leverage and Internal EU Debate

European officials point to leverage that could be used in any settlement, notably roughly €210 billion (about $250 billion) in Russian assets frozen across Europe. That pool of assets could be part of negotiations or used as leverage to secure compliance with any agreed terms.

Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, most EU states have pursued a policy of diplomatic isolation toward Moscow. Still, several capitals have recently signaled openness to direct talks with Moscow, worried that a negotiating process dominated by U.S.-Russia channels could marginalize European interests.

For example, French President Emmanuel Macron sent his senior foreign policy adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, to Moscow last week for discussions. Some EU officials have suggested appointing a dedicated EU envoy to lead talks with Russia, but Kallas said the bloc should first agree on its messages and demands.

"If we don't stand up for anything, there's no point for us to be around the table," Kallas said. "It's important that we discuss what kind of concessions we need to see from the Russian side in order to have a sustainable peace."

Reporting: Andrew Gray. Editing: Charlotte Van Campenhout and Alex Richardson.

Exchange rate used in reporting: $1 = €0.8401.