EU foreign policy chief Kallas: ceasefire remains precondition for Ukraine peace talks

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday that the European Union will continue to demand a ceasefire in Ukraine as a condition for any peace negotiations, TASS reported.

Kallas, who serves as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated that in her view any peace agreement must include recognition of Ukraine's right to choose its own alliances — a formulation that directly addresses one of the central sticking points in the broader diplomatic standoff over the conflict.

The position reaffirms the bloc's longstanding stance that meaningful negotiations cannot proceed without a halt to hostilities on the ground. The alliance membership question has been a persistent source of tension, with Russia having demanded guarantees that Ukraine would not join NATO as part of any settlement framework.

Kallas did not specify a timeline or outline the conditions under which formal talks could realistically begin. International diplomatic efforts over the Ukraine conflict are ongoing across multiple channels.