Kallas warns against Russian "traps" as Europe's place in Ukraine talks is disputed

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, warned against "walking into the traps that Russia is setting" in Ukraine talks, as EU leaders met for a summit in Dublin. Speaking on her arrival, she said "We have one aggressor and one victim, and the aggressor does not have security concerns."

Kallas said Moscow was trying to start a debate about European security to divert attention from its aggression. Referring to Russia, she added: "Nobody has ever attacked them. They have attacked others." The Guardian reported her remarks.

The dispute centres on who should sit at the table. Russia has revived demands for a total overhaul of European security as part of the war talks. Those demands were rejected in 2021, when they were seen as an infringement on the sovereignty, or right to govern itself, of central and eastern European countries.

The latest round of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States was held in Abu Dhabi in the week of the Dublin summit. Jared Kushner, the envoy for US President Donald Trump, said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to expand the next round of peace negotiations to include Europeans. Russia contradicted that assurance.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said "Russia wants to talk about questions of a European security architecture. We do not need to discuss that; it already exists." He also said it was a "given" that Germany would be part of any European delegation to peace talks.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was "self-explanatory that Europe is included in the peace talks to safeguard our interests, but also to support Ukraine."

The Kremlin, the Russian government's seat of power, said a decision on talks in an expanded format including Europe depends on understanding Europe's real intentions and its willingness to contribute to the peace process. Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's lead negotiator in Abu Dhabi, said it was "unclear what there is to discuss" with Europe.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the discussion on who should represent Europe in the talks was "slightly overstated."