The European Union is drafting a list of conditions it believes Russia must meet to achieve long-term peace in Ukraine, the bloc’s top diplomat said Tuesday, as U.S.-led talks make limited headway.
Russian forces used cluster munitions in a strike on a Ukrainian market last week, killing seven people, as envoys from Russia and Ukraine met in Abu Dhabi for U.S.-brokered negotiations. A new prisoner swap was agreed, but no major progress was made.
President Donald Trump, who previously said he could end the war within a day or in 100 days, has now set a June deadline for Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc doubts Moscow is participating in good faith and expressed concern that European and Ukrainian interests may not be fully represented by the Trump administration.
Kallas said the EU is working on a draft “sustainable peace plan” that would include conditions aimed at shaping Russia’s postwar behavior.
“We have just seen increased bombing by Russians during these talks,” she said, citing recent attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during what she described as the coldest winter of the conflict.
Kallas emphasized that although the EU appreciates U.S. diplomatic efforts, any durable peace must also reflect European input. “Everybody around the table including the Russians and the Americans need to understand that you need Europeans to agree,” she said.
She added that Russia, not Ukraine, should face primary conditions. Proposed measures may include requiring Russia to return children taken from Ukraine and imposing limits on Russia’s military force size. Russia has called for a cap on Ukraine’s forces.
“The Ukrainian army is not the issue. It’s the Russian army,” Kallas said. “If they spend so much on the military they will have to use it again.”
The EU is expected to circulate a draft list of conditions to member states in the coming days, with possible discussions at a foreign ministers meeting on Feb. 23.
Kallas said Ukraine’s dependence on U.S. support has pressured it into concessions. “Pressuring the weaker party is maybe getting the results faster but it’s only a declaration that we have peace. It’s not sustainable peace,” she said.
She stressed that the EU is not trying to launch a separate peace process — which Moscow would likely reject — but aims to influence the overall diplomatic approach. “Everybody wants this war to stop, except the Russians,” she said. “We can push them into the place where they actually want to end this war. They’re not there yet.”
Kallas cited recent intelligence suggesting Russia is facing recruitment challenges and said EU sanctions are harming its economy, with inflation remaining high.
The EU is also working on restrictions to prevent the repair or servicing of ships transporting Russian oil. Kallas said she hoped to secure support from Group of Seven countries during the Munich Security Conference this weekend.
