Kaja Kallas wants to represent the EU at peace negotiations for Ukraine, but Russia opposes her appointment

Kaja Kallas stated on Friday, before the informal summit of European Union leaders in Dublin, that she had wanted to be appointed the EU’s special envoy for peace negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The EU’s foreign policy chief believes that the position naturally belongs to her, given her institutional responsibilities, but maintains that Russia does not want her at the negotiating table because of her firm positions.

Kallas said that Moscow should not have the right to decide who represents the European Union. “The Russians don’t want me,” she said, adding that Russia wants as weak an interlocutor as possible in order to impose its demands.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs recalled that European leaders appointed her in June 2024, knowing that direct negotiations with Moscow would be necessary during her term. She specified that the member states can change this decision if they wish, but called for attention to be focused on substantive issues.

Kallas rejected the model used by the United States, which appointed personal representatives for the peace talks, and supported choosing someone who already holds an institutional position. European Council President Antonio Costa is considered the leading candidate for the role of special envoy. The negotiations dossier also involves the European Commission, through sanctions, funding, and Ukraine’s accession process.