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EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia’s reported new peace proposal for Ukraine is merely a gesture toward U.S. President Donald Trump and stressed that no plan can succeed without the participation of Ukraine and Europe.
Speaking after an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Kallas said any credible peace initiative must be backed by Kyiv and EU capitals.
She argued that if Moscow genuinely wanted peace, it would have accepted an unconditional cease-fire earlier this year.
Reports claim the U.S. and Russia discussed a 28-point proposal that includes Ukraine handing over parts of Donbas and limiting its military; terms seen as highly unfavorable to Kyiv.
EU ministers voiced doubt about the reported plan. Poland’s Radosław Sikorski said its status remains unclear, while Sweden’s Maria Malmer Stenergard insisted “there can be no peace without Ukraine.”
Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel confirmed Europe was not consulted.
French and Danish ministers reiterated demands for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire; a stance rejected by Moscow.
The plan was reportedly drafted by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and passed to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, a controversial figure in Kyiv and Europe.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said it is important to know whether Trump supports the initiative.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is gathering ideas from both sides but offered no confirmation on the reported plan.
The discussion came as the EU considers options to fund Ukraine’s military and financial needs for 2026–27, including a proposal to use frozen Russian central bank assets to provide Ukraine with a zero-interest compensation loan.
Kallas said Russia fears losing access to these funds, calling the measure “the clearest way to sustain Ukraine’s defense.”
She added that Ukrainians are willing to negotiate but “not at the cost of their country.”
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