Russian invaders do not plan to stop in Donbas, so Ukraine needs reliable guarantees, particularly to protect other regions.
This was stated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.
“This is truly a busy diplomatic week. Today we have many discussions, first and foremost about Ukraine, from a financing perspective. This is a decisive week,” Kallas said.
She emphasized that Donbas “is not Putin’s final goal.”
“If Donbas falls, the fortress falls, and then they will certainly continue to seize all of Ukraine. And if Ukraine falls, other regions will also be in danger. We know this from history, and we must learn from history,” the High Representative said.
She urged European leaders to be clear about the facts:
“We have one aggressor and one victim, and it is Ukraine that needs security guarantees. Not Russia.”
Kallas reminded that in the past 100 years, Russia has attacked at least 19 countries—some three or four times—and none of these countries attacked Russia, so Moscow does not need any security guarantees.
“Security guarantees are needed for everyone else,” Kallas noted.
She added that one reason countries seek NATO membership is that they do not want Russia to invade them.
“That is why Sweden and Finland joined NATO. That is why the Baltic states joined NATO—to have this defensive umbrella. Now, if membership is uncertain or excluded, we need to consider what security guarantees are strong. They cannot just be on paper or promises—they must be real troops, real capabilities, so Ukraine can defend itself,” the High Representative concluded.
