(OTC:) by Andrew Gray and Lily Baer
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Wednesday pushed back against Donald Trump, saying Europe is lagging behind the U.S. in aid to Ukraine, and insisting that the time for peace talks has come. And the block must have a seat on the table. .
Trump has said Washington contributed more to Ukraine than Europe, but Callas said Europe is the biggest contributor.
“By my account, we have given more than 134 billion euros to Ukraine. That makes us the biggest international donor,” Callas told Reuters on Tuesday when asked about the US president’s comments that Europe should pay more. is
Callas said it was important that Europe be included whenever there are talks to end the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Some European officials have expressed fears that Trump may try to strike a deal directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Any negotiation or agreement between Russia and Ukraine is also related to Europe. So ‘nothing about Europe without Europe’ is also key here,” he said.
Callas expressed some optimism that the EU will find a deal to keep sanctions on Russia in place before they expire at the end of the month.
Hungary has so far refused to support a renewal, arguing that the EU should first consult with the Trump administration about the future of Russia sanctions.
“I see no reason to weaken or release sanctions now,” Callas said.
“Why I am optimistic is that we have always reached unity and have maintained unity so far, so I am sure we will work this time,” he said, referring to previous discussions on sanctions.
He said EU officials were investigating what else could be done by freezing Russian assets within the bloc. The bloc is currently using profits from the assets to aid Ukraine but has not used the assets themselves.
