© EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET Kallas added that “Russia has not broken Ukraine's resolve.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas spoke at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg this morning, opening the debate on Ukraine. Kallas noted that while “international efforts to stop Russia’s war have intensified in recent months, Russia’s response has been even more aggression,” The Guardian reports.
“Over the weekend, Russia carried out the largest air operation of this war. Putin is not interested in peace and will not stop the war until he is forced to. The only option we have is to increase pressure on Russia, provide more support to Ukraine, and prepare for the next day,” she added.
She noted that the EU is working on a new, 19th package of sanctions against Russia, working with international partners to ensure their maximum effectiveness.
“We are also coordinating our actions with partners, as the impact of internationally coordinated sanctions is much stronger than the EU's actions alone. Our message to Russia is simple: the war cannot be won. Leave the battlefield and sit at the negotiating table with Ukraine,” Kallas said.
Kallas also criticized Vladimir Putin's threat to attack Western peacekeepers in Ukraine.
“Last week, Putin threatened attacks on any Western presence on the territory, including peacekeepers. This is a serious escalation by Russia that directly undermines European security. Russia has no right to interfere in how we defend ourselves,” Kallas said.
As we recall, The Times newspaper noted that Putin has started a new phase of the war in Ukraine after returning from China. The Russian leader is no longer trying to pretend that he is ready to end the war.
