Russia's miscalculation and Europe's demand for a seat
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia made a strategic error by attempting to force Ukraine's capitulation through a bilateral deal with the United States, according to an exclusive interview with Euronews. Kallas, who serves as the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, argued that Moscow has misread the situation since last year's Anchorage summit. She stressed that Europe has its own demands to present to Russia and that the message to Moscow is clear: negotiations must include the Europeans.[S1]
Kallas was asked about the diesel arrangement and energy truce unveiled by US President Donald Trump, which would see Russia provide 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and world markets. She called the deal a present to Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked what he had offered in exchange. In her view, Moscow has instead stepped up strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the announced ceasefire is not being observed by the Russian side.[S1]
Ukraine's refinery strikes and the financing of war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Financial Times that Kyiv would keep hitting Russian refineries despite US pressure, including pauses in intelligence sharing and a weaker Starlink signal during intense Russian attacks. Kallas said the real problem is that Russia must halt its war of aggression, which would also end Ukraine's refinery strikes. She defended those strikes as legitimate targets, noting that oil revenues are a major source of funding for Moscow's war effort.[S1][S2]
Kallas contended that international pressure ought to be aimed at Russia to stop its invasion, rather than at Ukraine to accept Moscow's terms, a stance she said Europe has held consistently. She proposed that if Europe and the US acted in concert, the message to Russia would be clear: end this war, and worries about oil refineries and other matters would also disappear. She added that Russia is striking energy infrastructure within Ukraine to inflict maximum suffering on Ukrainians during the coming winter.[S1]
Elections, unity, and the risk of fatigue
Asked whether a series of elections in key EU states, including the possibility of Marine Le Pen becoming French president, points to fading support for Ukraine, Kallas conceded that public views have changed across four years of war. Still, she argued Europe must show a united front for its foreign policy to carry weight. She cautioned that Russia is banking on Europeans growing weary so they will give in, and that if that occurs, Russian appetite will only expand.[S1]
Kallas further told Euronews that Brussels needs to increase its backing for Zelenskyy following a turbulent week in which Trump implied Kyiv required a new leader. She said Moscow is wagering on a drawn-out war, hoping to outlast Ukraine while escalating attacks on civilians. Trump has pressed Kyiv to halt strikes on energy infrastructure, but Kallas defended Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries as legitimate.[S2]
