Europe Falling Into Russia's Trap, EU's Kallas Warns

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned Friday that Europe is "falling into the trap" set by Russia, which she says aims to divert attention from the lack of a ceasefire and legitimize its aspirations. She stressed that Russia is the aggressor and has no legitimate security concerns. Kallas said Moscow is presenting maximalist demands, including barring Ukraine from NATO and requiring the Alliance to withdraw military presence from Eastern European countries that joined after 1997. She argued Europe must negotiate from an equally firm position, starting from its own maximum demands. European leaders met Friday in Dublin, without Spain's Pedro Sánchez due to election campaigning, but failed to agree on a negotiator. Kallas reiterated her readiness to lead talks with the Kremlin, noting US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have tried to secure European participation, though Russia conditions dialogue on the EU's attitude.