The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, called for the issue of limiting the size of the Russian army to be considered in light of similar proposals regarding the Ukrainian Armed Forces. She made this statement before the start of the EU Council meeting at the level of defense ministers in Brussels.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Position on interference in the military policy of sovereign states
Kallas emphasized the unacceptability of interfering in the sovereign right of countries to determine the size of their armed forces. She stressed that if the international community is putting pressure on Ukraine, which has not engaged in military invasions, a similar approach should be applied to Russia, as its army poses a potential threat to the security of other states.
“We do not consider it right to interfere in the decisions of sovereign countries regarding how large their army is. But my opinion was that if there is pressure on the Ukrainian army, which has not invaded anyone, then there should also be pressure on the Russian army, and in fact, the Russian army is the one that poses a risk to everyone.”
The Vice President of the European Commission noted that over the last century, Russia has conducted military invasions in 19 countries, threatening their security. According to her, maintaining a large army and significant military budget in the Russian Federation could lead to new aggressive actions.
Diplomatic efforts and support for Ukraine
Kallas also commented on the intensification of diplomatic negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine. She agreed with the position of leading European leaders that Russia is not interested in achieving peace. According to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Ukraine must become as strong as possible to defend itself under difficult conditions. She emphasized the importance of further pressure on Russia through sanctions and providing Ukraine with reparative loans, which, in her opinion, raises significant concerns for the Russian side.
Despite Belgium’s warnings about the risks, Kallas expressed confidence in the EU’s ability to agree on providing financial assistance to Ukraine, particularly from frozen Russian assets. She stressed that the majority of member states are ready to share potential risks and will not allow the December meeting of the European Council to conclude without a decision on financing Ukraine.
Kaja Kallas’s speech took place against the backdrop of active diplomatic contacts between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia regarding the possible parameters of a peace agreement. On November 30, negotiations between Ukrainian and American delegations took place in Hallandale, Florida, which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “very productive,” emphasizing that additional work is needed to reach agreements. He also reported on planned negotiations by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow with Vladimir Putin.
The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, after the meeting in Florida, emphasized that the parties had made significant progress in advancing pathways to a dignified peace and aligning the positions of Ukraine and the USA.