December 1, 2025
EU foreign affairs chief Kallas says Ukraine facing ‘pivotal’ week
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, on Monday told journalists at a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels, “It could be a pivotal week for diplomacy.”
Kallas’ comments come amid a flurry of negotiations in the US and Europe aimed at putting an end to Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine. Referencing the US meeting, Kallas said, “We heard yesterday that the talks in America were difficult but productive.”
Kallas scoffed at one of the many demands the Kremlin has put down for any ceasefire to even be considered, namely that the size of Ukraine’s army be slashed: “the Russian army is the one that is actually a risk to everybody. If Russia’s army is big, if their military budget is as big as it is right now, they will want to use it again,” she warned.
Kallas was coy when asked if she thought the US could be trusted to hammer out a good deal for Ukraine. “The Ukrainians are there alone. If they would be together with Europeans, they would definitely be much stronger. But I trust that the Ukrainians stand up for themselves,” she said.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Moscow Tuesday for further talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Europeans have been skeptical of Witkoff’s role, suggesting that he is not negotiating in Ukraine’s best interests but rather puppeting Kremlin talking points — a concern that was amplified by the recent leak of phone conversations between Witkoff and Russian negotiators in which the US businessman gave tips on how the Russians could best win the support of US President Trump, who is already considered by most observers to be wholly supportive of Russia over Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, in Paris on Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, said “these are important days, and much can change.”
