Ukraine, EU Must Be Included in Any US-Russia Agreement: EU’s Top Diplomat

Brussels- European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stressed that any agreement between the United States and Russia over the war in Ukraine must also involve both Ukraine and the EU, as Washington and Moscow prepare for talks on a possible ceasefire.

“Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it concerns the security of Ukraine and all of Europe,” Kallas said. She added that she would convene an online meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday to discuss “our next steps,” Xinhua news agency reported.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet on August 15 in Alaska to discuss a potential ceasefire — their first meeting since 2021.

On Saturday, European leaders issued a joint statement declaring that any diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict must safeguard the essential security interests of both Ukraine and Europe. The statement was signed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The leaders emphasised that these interests include robust and credible security guarantees enabling Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. They asserted that lasting peace and security in Ukraine can only be achieved through a combination of active diplomacy, continued support for Ukraine, and sustained pressure on Russia.

With inputs from IANS