Kallas lashes out at US over Ukraine peace efforts

The EU foreign policy chief has accused Washington of trying to force Kiev to surrender on Moscow’s terms EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has accused Washington of trying to force Ukraine to surrender to Russia, attacking President Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Kallas credited Europe’s military and financial backing of Kiev with prolonging the conflict and preventing Ukraine from accepting Moscow’s terms.

“American negotiators have been trying to push Ukraine into surrender for already almost two years, one and a half years now,” she said, as quoted by Euronews.

Read more Callous Kallas: The bitter diplomat dragging the EU down the warpath with Russia Moscow has cited Kiev’s aggressive posture and the hostile position of its European backers as major obstacles to a peace settlement.

Ukraine has consistently rejected Russia’s conditions, insisting on joining NATO and restoring control over all territories it claims.

Kallas’ remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump said negotiations were making “great progress,” defending his decision to ease economic pressure on Russia to keep diplomacy moving.

Trump has stepped up his criticism of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, describing him as “more difficult to deal with” than Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He has accused Zelensky of prolonging the conflict and taking Washington’s extensive support for granted, and has criticized Kiev’s continued attacks on Russian refineries for disrupting global diesel markets.

Zelensky has said he feels betrayed by Trump.

Read more UK PM consoles Zelensky after Trump calls for his ouster Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports earlier this month to curb rising energy prices ahead of the US midterm elections.

On Friday, he suspended tariffs targeting China, India and other major buyers of Russian oil and gas.

Trump defended the measures, saying he did not want to drive Moscow away from the negotiating table.

The decisions drew criticism from European officials, with Kallas describing the diesel agreement as a “gift to Putin.” US special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks in Oslo on Tuesday with Zelensky, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner joining remotely.

Witkoff is expected to travel to St.