High European diplomat says Putin is setting ‘a entice’ by demanding Ukraine concessions

The European Union’s international coverage chief mentioned Friday that the potential for Ukraine ceding land to Russia as a part of a peace deal to finish their three-year struggle is “a entice” set by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian chief is demanding Ukrainian concessions in return for halting his military’s invasion however granting him these calls for would quantity to rewarding the nation that began the preventing, Kaja Kallas mentioned.

The latest speak about handing Putin concessions is “precisely the entice that Russia needs us to stroll into,” Kallas mentioned in an interview with the BBC.

“I imply, the dialogue all about what Ukraine ought to hand over, what the concessions that Ukraine is keen to (make), whereas we’re forgetting that Russia has not made one single concession and they’re those who’re the aggressor right here, they’re those who’re brutally attacking one other nation and killing individuals,” she mentioned.

U.S.-led peace efforts have struggled to get traction, regardless of U.S. President Donald Trump discussing the struggle with Putin in Alaska final week earlier than internet hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on the White Home on Monday.

Quite a few particulars for a proper peace proposal have to be hammered out. In the meantime, Russia has continued to assault Ukraine and has raised objections to some key Ukrainian calls for.

Establishing postwar Western safety ensures for Ukraine, which Kyiv insists are wanted to discourage one other Russian assault, is below dialogue by a wide range of international locations, Kallas mentioned, noting that “it does sound like we’re a way off when it comes to pinning that down.”

“Russia is simply dragging ft. It’s clear that Russia doesn’t need peace,” Kallas mentioned. “President Trump has been repeatedly saying that the killing has to cease and Putin is simply laughing, not stopping the killing, however rising the killing.”

Ukraine, in the meantime, has hit again at Russia with long-range weapons which are focusing on infrastructure supporting Moscow’s struggle effort. It has hit oil refineries, amongst different targets, and Russian wholesale gasoline costs have reached file highs in latest days.

Ukrainian forces on Friday focused the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia, hitting the Unecha oil pumping station within the Bryansk area, in keeping with the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Techniques Forces, Robert Brovdy, also referred to as Magyar.

The Druzhba pipeline begins in Russia and takes oil by means of Belarus and Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary. In Russia, a piece of it goes by means of the Bryansk area and the Unecha district.

Ukraine fired HIMARS rockets and drones on the area in a mixed assault, Bryansk regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz mentioned in a Telegram put up.

The pipeline provides Hungary with greater than half of its crude oil. Hungarian Overseas Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote on Fb on Friday that the Druzhba pipeline had been attacked “for the third time in a short while.”

“That is one other assault on the power safety of our nation. One other try to pull us into struggle,” the minister wrote.

Hungary below Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has taken a combative stance towards each Kyiv and its EU backers whereas most EU international locations have provided political, monetary, and navy assist to Kyiv.

Orbán visited Moscow to satisfy with Putin final month in a uncommon journey to Russia by a European chief.

Slovakia and Hungary are the one remaining EU member states nonetheless receiving oil from Russia. The opposite 25 stopped shopping for it as a part of EU sanctions following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Comply with AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine