Sanctions and the War in Ukraine: Why the EU Does Not Support the Idea of “Negotiating with the Kremlin”
17 March 20:50
The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, has spoken out against the idea of restoring ties with Russia over cheap energy supplies, a proposal previously put forward by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
According to Reuters, the Belgian prime minister’s statement sparked a debate within the European Union on how to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and what the future policy toward Moscow should be, reports [Komersant].
What the Belgian Prime Minister said
Bart De Wever stated that the European Union should consider the possibility of negotiating with Russia to end the war.
In his view, economic pressure on Moscow without the full support of the United States will not be able to force the Kremlin to change course.
“Since we cannot intimidate Putin by supplying weapons to Ukraine, and we cannot bring him to his knees economically without the support of the United States, there is only one way left: to reach an agreement,” de Wever said.
He also stated that the U.S. position on the war sometimes appears ambiguous.
“The United States is not fully on Ukraine’s side, and sometimes it seems that they are closer to Putin,” the Belgian prime minister added.
According to him, some European leaders allegedly agree with this assessment, although they do not speak about it publicly.
Reaction from the EU’s top diplomat
Kaja Kallas questioned these claims and stated that she does not see such sentiments among European leaders.
“I was behind those closed doors when we discussed the leaders’ meetings, and I don’t see such sentiments,” she said.
According to her, before any contacts with Moscow, it is necessary to clearly define exactly what will be discussed.
“We need to first agree on exactly what we will be discussing with Russia,” Kallas noted.
Warning about risks
The EU’s top diplomat also warned that returning to the previous model of cooperation with Russia could create new threats.
“If we go back to how things were with Russia, there will be even more conflicts and wars,” she emphasized.
Kallas urged European leaders to be cautious in their decisions.
“We must be vigilant and not give Russia what it wants, because its appetite will only grow,” she said.
Sanctions and Energy
Earlier, Kaja Kallas also criticized the U.S. decision to ease restrictions on Russian oil.
In her view, such steps could set a “dangerous precedent,” as it is crucial for the European Union that Russia have fewer resources to wage war against Ukraine.
The discussion on sanctions, energy security, and negotiations with Moscow remains one of the key topics in EU policy amid the war in Ukraine.
