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Europeans should be involved in any effort to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia, the continent's top diplomats said after reports emerged of a US-Russia plan that favors Kremlin interests.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed any "meaningful efforts" to end the war, but said Ukraine's and Europe's input was needed for any plan to work.
" Vladimir Putin could end this war immediately if he stopped bombing civilians and killing people. But we have not seen any concessions from the Russian side. We welcome all meaningful efforts to end this war, but, as we have said before, it must be just and sustainable. This also means that Ukrainians, but also Europeans, agree with this ," she told reporters.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul took a similar stance.
" All negotiations about a ceasefire, about the further peaceful development of Ukraine, can only be discussed and negotiated with Ukraine. And Europe will have to be involved ," he said.
The draft US-Russia peace plan, which was released to the media on Wednesday, would require Ukraine to cede territory and give Russia unprecedented control over its political and military sovereignty. Jean-Noël Barrot, the French foreign minister, said peace cannot mean capitulation.
“ The principle of peace should start with a ceasefire on the line of contact, which will allow for engagement in discussions on issues of territories and security guarantees. This is what we have always said, this is what Ukraine has always said… But what we see today is that Russia and Vladimir Putin are an obstacle to peace ,” he said.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who was expected to brief his counterparts about the sabotage attack on Poland's railway network this week, said he welcomed these peace efforts.
“ We applaud the efforts for peace. But Europe is the main player, the main supporter of Ukraine, and, of course, the security of Europe is at stake. So we expect to consult. I hope that it is not the victim who has limitations in its ability to defend itself, but the aggressor, whose aggressive potential must be limited ,” he said.
The ministers were meeting as Russia's parliament said any "confiscation" of Russian assets by the EU should trigger legal action against Belgium and Euroclear, the Brussels-based depository where most of the frozen sovereign wealth is held.
The EU has blocked a plan to use frozen Russian assets to generate a €140bn (£123bn) loan for Ukraine, largely because Belgium is seeking further guarantees over legal risks. EU officials insist their proposal does not infringe on Russia’s property rights and have previously downplayed the consequences of legal action against Belgium and Euroclear.
The Duma vote is a response to a letter from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to EU leaders on Monday, in which she warned that Ukraine faces a shortfall of 136 billion euros in 2026–27 to pay for its defense and keep the country running. She outlined three options for financing Ukraine, but made clear that she favored a reparations loan based on frozen Russian assets.
EU leaders will discuss the plan at a summit next month after failing to reach an agreement in October. Belgium argues that the EU plan lacks crucial details, such as what happens if Russia refuses to pay reparations to Ukraine, or how risk would be shared if Moscow sues Euroclear. The Brussels-based securities depository holds about two-thirds of all Russian sovereign wealth in the West.
On Thursday, the Duma, Vladimir Putin's parliament, voted unanimously in favor of the resolution, according to a statement on its website.
“ The seizure of Russian assets, no matter how cunningly disguised, cannot be conceived as anything other than a violation of Russia’s sovereign rights. Any violation of Russian assets must receive an appropriate legal response, starting with claims for compensation, with a request for the seizure of property as a security measure, against Euroclear and Belgium ,” the statement said.
Euroclear declined to comment, but referred to an interview its chief executive, Valérie Urbain, gave to Le Monde earlier this month. Anything that even remotely resembles confiscation would be illegal.
"We must be extremely vigilant ," she said, warning that Russia could take legal action.
On Thursday in Brussels, Hungary's foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, expressed his government's typical hostility to EU efforts to support Ukraine, saying it would be unthinkable to send the Hungarian people's money to "a corrupt Ukrainian war mafia."
This is a possible reference to the corruption scandal involving the Ukrainian government, which Budapest has exploited to strengthen its anti-Ukrainian stance./ The Guardian
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