The talks in Riyadh signal Moscow’s growing influence, according to the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas
Moscow emerged as the winner in the recent US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia, setting the agenda for negotiations, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas has claimed.
The high-level talks in Riyadh on Tuesday, which focused on restoring ties and addressing the Ukraine conflict, have frustrated the EU. Member states criticized Washington for sidelining Brussels and Kiev during the negotiations.
Speaking to Euractiv on the day of the meeting, Kallas was asked about Europe’s exclusion from the meeting.
“Of course, the Americans can meet with whomever they wish to,” she said. However, she stressed that for any peace deal regarding Ukraine to be effective, it has to involve the Europeans and the Ukrainians.
“Right now, if you also look at the images from Saudi Arabia, the Russians are the winners. Their posture is: ‘Everybody is coming to us now and offering us what we want’” Kallas stated, adding, “Let’s not walk into the Russian traps.”
The meeting in Riyadh followed a phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders agreed to initiate negotiations to end the nearly three-year conflict.
Last week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ruled out deploying American troops as part of potential security guarantees to Kiev.
The shift prompted an emergency meeting of America’s European NATO allies in France on Monday to forge a unified EU stance, but it produced no concrete results.
Asked about Europe’s options if Trump continues to exclude its leaders from talks, Kallas said, “If some deal is agreed that we don’t agree to, then it will just fail, because it will not be implemented.”
She pointed to mixed messages from the Americans, sometimes even from the same individuals in different meetings. Understanding the inconsistencies remains a challenge, Kallas stated, adding that Europe must adapt to the new administration’s approach.
“Right now, we should focus our strength on supporting Ukraine, and the stronger they are on the battlefield, the stronger they are behind the negotiation table,” she said.
On Wednesday, Politico reported, citing EU diplomats, that the bloc is preparing a military aid package worth at least $6.2 billion for Ukraine. The package is expected to include 1.5 million artillery shells and air defense systems – one of the bloc’s largest military aid commitments since the escalation of the conflict in 2022.
Western media outlets also reported that the EU has agreed on a 16th package of Russia sanctions. The measures are still not finalized, but EU foreign ministers are set to endorse them next week, according to AP.
Moscow has warned against Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they only prolong the conflict without altering the outcome, while increasing the risk of a direct Russia-NATO clash. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko has suggested that the EU could contribute to resolving the crisis by halting military and logistical support to Kiev.
