EU’s Kaja Kallas Doubts Abu Dhabi Peace Talks as Russia Shows No Willingness to Negotiate in Good Faith

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she had little hope for the upcoming Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi, accusing Russia of failing to demonstrate any genuine willingness to negotiate while continuing to attack civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“I don’t have very high expectations regarding these talks, because we haven’t seen really any signs from Russia that they are willing to negotiate in good faith,” Kallas told reporters in Paris on Monday, November 9, during a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting.

She called for a ceasefire and an end to attacks on civilians as concrete signs of Russian goodwill.

“We would also like to see goodwill from Russia, for example not killing civilians every single day and not attacking civilian infrastructure,” she said. “So far they have not done that.”

The U.S.-mediated discussions between Ukraine and Russia are due to begin in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, with European and NATO representatives also expected in the United Arab Emirates.

Kallas also challenged proposals for a new European security framework involving Moscow, arguing that the problem was not a shortage of agreements but Russia’s failure to honor those already signed.

“We have European security architecture in place. I’ve counted at least 30 international agreements where Russia has taken up obligations to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said.

She cited the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, under which Russia joined other powers in giving Ukraine security assurances as Kyiv agreed to relinquish the nuclear weapons it inherited from the Soviet Union.

“Our problem is that Russia is not keeping to those agreements,” Kallas said. She maintained that decisions about Europe’s security must include the European Union.

Turning to the U.S. midterms, Kallas said the results expressed voters’ wishes, but it was too early to determine whether they would change Washington’s policies. She said the EU was ready to work with any U.S. Congress or administration.

“What we hope is that we would see also pressure put on Russia from the American side,” she said.

The EU is discussing a 22nd package of sanctions against Moscow, and Kallas said coordinated European and American pressure could be more effective.