Kallas says Russia is no superpower

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said this during a discussion at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, Ukrinform reports.

"But let's be clear-eyed about Russia. Russia is no superpower. After more than a decade of conflict, including 4 years of full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia has barely advanced beyond the 2014 lines. The cost? 1.2 million casualties. Today, Russia is broken, its economy in shreds, it is disconnected from the European energy markets, and its own citizens are fleeing," Kallas said.

In her opinion, the greatest threat Russia poses at present is that "it gains more at the negotiation table than it has achieved on the battlefield."

Commenting on potential peace talks on Ukraine, Kallas said that more important than having a seat at the negotiating table is knowing what demands to make.

"Russia's maximalist demands cannot be met with a minimalist response," she said.

In this context, she stressed that if Ukraine's military is to be limited in size, then Russia's should be too. Russia must pay for the damage inflicted on Ukraine, there should be no amnesty for war crimes, and Ukrainian children must be returned home, Kallas said.

"This is really the very least Russia should agree to if peace is Russia's goal," she said.

At the same time, she stressed that Europe does not currently see this as Russia’s position.

Kallas also said that EU enlargement has become "the antidote to Russian imperialism."

"Since 1990, states that freed themselves from Soviet domination and joined the EU, have grown more than twice as fast as Russia. In 1990, Russians were twice as rich as Poles. Today, Poles are roughly 70% richer than Russians," she said.

"Today, enlargement is a geopolitical choice and we must say yes," Kallas said.

Photo: MSC