The EU should not “humiliate itself” by asking for negotiations with Moscow – Kallas

Kaja Kallas called for a change in approach in negotiations with Russia

Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, called for a change in the approach in negotiations with Russia, noting that Moscow needs to be put in a position where it initiates a real dialogue.

At a press conference in Estonia during a meeting of the foreign ministers of Northern Europe and the Baltics, Kallas noted that Russia does not wish to engage in dialogue regarding the end of the war in Ukraine. She emphasized that Europe should not demean itself by being in the role of dialogue supplicants, and urged for unity among European countries before engaging with the Russian Federation.

Kallas’s statement occurred against the backdrop of a recent phone call between the US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which peace talks in the Washington-Kyiv-Moscow format were suspended due to the US-Israel conflict against Iran. Kallas emphasized that Russia must transition from a simulated to a real negotiation process.

In February 2026, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and Estonian President Alar Karis expressed support for direct negotiations with Russia and proposed appointing an EU special envoy for this purpose. However, the Estonian Foreign Minister stated that such a position contradicts the overall European policy.