Don't 'give Russia what they want' — Kallas decries taking NATO membership off the table for Ukraine

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas decried ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine in an interview with AFP published on Feb. 27.

To the dismay of Ukraine and its allies in Europe, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine as a security guarantee against future Russian aggression.

Kallas told AFP during a visit to Washington that there was no reason to offer concessions to Russia before formal peace negotiations even begin, especially given their ongoing occupation of Ukraine.

"My question is, why we should give Russia what they want on top of what they have already done — attacking Ukraine, annexing territory, occupying territory, and now offering something on top of it?"

Kallas likened the proposed concessions to attempts to appease Al Qaeda following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against the U.S..

"Consider here in America that after 9/11 you would have sat down with Osama bin Laden and said, 'OK, what else do you want?' I mean, it's unimaginable," she said.

Russia has long advocated against NATO membership for Ukraine and alleged that Ukraine's desire to join the alliance provoked the full-scale invasion — a justification Trump has repeated. Kallas called these claims "totally untrue."

"That is the Russian narrative that we should not buy," she said.

Kallas, the former prime minister of Estonia, said the Baltic country joined NATO because it is "afraid of Russia," with which it shares a border.

"And the only thing that really works — the only security guarantee that works — is NATO's umbrella," she said.

Europe won't be able to assist Ukraine in an eventual peace deal if the White House does not include European nations in the process, the official added.

Kallas has voiced strong support for Ukraine's defense and urged Western partners to maintain a robust alliance against Russian aggression.On Feb. 18 Kallas said

"Russia will try to divide us," Kallas said on Feb. 18 following the U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.

"Let's not walk into their traps. By working together with the U.S., we can achieve a just and lasting peace — on Ukraine's terms."

Amid the shift in U.S. foreign policy, European NATO allies are preparing to send more military aid to Ukraine.

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