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By Shane Croucher and John Feng
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The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said Russia does not need security guarantees because it is not under threat and that Ukraine's should include "real troops, real capabilities" to ensure Moscow does not invade again.
The Kremlin has said it would not accept Western troops in Ukraine under a settlement, and that it also needs security guarantees against aggression.
Kallas also warned that the Donbas "is not Putin's end game." Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine hand over the remaining territory in the eastern Donbas region that it still holds, including two key fortress cities, or it will be taken by force.
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"If he gets Donbas, then the fortress is down, and then they definitely move on with taking the whole of Ukraine," Kallas said in Brussels on Monday morning ahead of an EU foreign affairs council meeting. "And if Ukraine goes, then other regions are also in danger. We know this from history and we should learn from history."
Peace negotiations are grinding on slowly, brokered by the U.S. under President Donald Trump, who is increasing the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to make painful compromises because Russia has the upper hand on the battlefield.
Zelensky has signaled he is willing to compromise on NATO membership and also soon hold elections, if the U.S. and Western allies would guarantee their security. He has also floated a referendum on territorial concessions.
Trump, frustrated by the slow pace of efforts to end the war, is seeking a quick resolution to a conflict that he originally pledged to end on "day one" of his second term. A peace deal would be a crowning moment for the self-styled peacemaker.
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But Kyiv and its European allies are pushing back, trying to coordinate a united response that pulls the U.S. toward a set of proposals that more closely align with Ukrainian wishes and do not reward Russia for its aggression. They also want clear and ironclad security guarantees for Ukraine, linking it to broader European security.
Trump has told the EU to talk less and act more.
Europeans are moving closer to finalizing a plan for the frozen Russian assets under their control, including how they could be used to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine when Russia's war is over. Kallas called it "a make-or-break week" for the financing of Ukraine. The Kremlin has accused the EU of stealing the Russian assets.
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