‘No Positive Signs From Russia,’ Says Kallas As Cease-Fire Talks Drag On

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says there have been “no positive signs from Russia” in ongoing cease-fire negotiations over Ukraine, and that Moscow is “just playing games.”

Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have been locked in negotiations for a month in an effort to end the three-year full-scale war.

While partial cease-fire agreements have been reached — covering energy infrastructure and traffic on the Black Sea — Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities continue on a daily basis.

Asked whether she believes a full cease-fire can be achieved by April 20 — a target date floated by Finnish President Alexander Stubb during a recent visit to US President Donald Trump in Florida — the former Estonian prime minister stressed that pressure must be placed on Moscow.

“I think it could be very good to set them a clear deadline when they have to answer, what is their standing, and to really show some goodwill that they also want peace,” she said. “It’s clear that the Ukrainians want it.”

Not Talking With Russia Yet

This week, Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Kremlin adviser and head of a major state-backed investment fund, is expected to visit Washington for talks with US officials on Ukraine and bilateral relations, the Kremlin said.

Dmitriev’s reported visit comes as Washington and Moscow move to repair relations following years of spiraling tensions that predate Russia’s February 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine.

When asked whether the EU should also engage directly with Dmitriev, Kallas said any discussions must center around Kyiv.

“For Ukraine, Ukraine has to negotiate with Russia,” she said. “It can’t be done by anybody else, because it’s about Ukraine and it can’t be without Ukraine.”

So far, the European Union and its 27 member states have been sidelined from the talks. Pressed on whether the bloc or any of its member states were ready to talk directly with the Kremlin, Kallas emphasized that Europe must be part of any long-term settlement.

“When it comes to negotiations about Ukraine, then clearly Europe must be around that table because it also concerns us what is the result of this,” she said. “And any deal can’t work without the implementation of the Europeans.”