Yesterday at 22:17
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said that Europe cannot be the only one responsible for helping Ukraine stop Russia’s war, especially after U.S. President Donald Trump promised to end the fighting.
“He promised to stop the killings. So this cannot be only our business,” Kallas told Politico on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
She reminded that the United States is NATO’s largest ally, stressing that when people talk about what NATO should do, “it also means what America should do.”
Recently, Trump pressed NATO allies to fully cut Russian oil and gas imports before Washington imposes its own tariffs or sanctions on Moscow.
“Trump was right,” Kallas said. “We cut our oil and gas purchases by 80%. If everyone did what we do, the effect would be greater. We introduced 19 sanction packages. If allies did the same, the war would end faster.”
Kallas urged the U.S. to use its “leverage” over Hungary and Slovakia, the two biggest importers of Russian energy in the EU, recalling a recent phone call between Trump and Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán as a positive step.
She acknowledged U.S. officials’ concerns that tougher sanctions could undermine talks with Moscow, but noted that Russia has shown no goodwill:
“You come with good will, you offer all this to bring them to the table, but in reality they just escalate. … Putin abuses that good will. Now the question is, what will you do?”
On recent Russian airspace violations, Kallas said “Putin is testing us, checking how far he can go.” But she warned that a too strong response could frighten European societies, so leaders must “keep the balance and not fuel fear.”
Kallas’ remarks come as Kyiv and its allies seek to understand Trump’s sudden shift in tone on the war. Earlier this week, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Ukraine can fight and regain all its territory with the support of the EU and NATO, which “can do whatever they want” with U.S. weapons.
While many European officials welcomed the tougher stance toward Russia, some fear Trump may be signaling that the U.S. will step back from directly mediating the conflict and shift the responsibility onto Europe.
