The US strategy of pressuring Ukraine in peace negotiations is failing and President Donald Trump should redirect that pressure toward Russia, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on 23 February— four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
"Their approach has been to put pressure on on the victim, on Ukraine," Kallas said. "It hasn't really delivered in one year results so maybe we should focus now on the other side."
Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly urged Ukraine to make concessions to Russia. He also threatened Moscow with additional sanctions, according to Bloomberg, most of which have not been enacted.
Kallas's remarks come as US-led efforts to end the war stall and peace talks deadlock. Ukraine's European allies have been largely sidelined from negotiations despite funding weapons purchases for Kyiv after Trump wound down US military assistance, according to Bloomberg.
EU loan blocked, frozen assets back on the table
The EU itself is struggling to maintain a united front. Hungary and Slovakia are blocking fresh sanctions on Moscow, while Budapest is stalling a €90 billion ($106 billion) loan to Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv on 24 February to mark the war's anniversary but came away empty-handed.
Kallas said officials are working to convince Hungary and Slovakia to lift their veto. If that fails, she floated reviving the idea of a loan to Ukraine backed by immobilized Russian central bank assets.
"We should right now focus on solving this issue, on the €90 billion loan — there is discussion on the leaders level and different options on the table," Kallas said. "But if that's not going to work out, then of course, the frozen assets is a possibility."
She added, however, that EU officials have done no work on using the assets since December, when the entire bloc — including Hungary — agreed on the existing Ukraine loan.
Pipeline dispute fuels EU division
The standoff is rooted in an energy dispute. Russia attacked the Druzhba pipeline in January — the route carrying Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia, Bloomberg reports. Both EU members accuse Ukraine of dragging its feet with repairs and have threatened to block support until supplies resume. Kyiv says it needs more time to fix the transit system.
Notably, neither Budapest nor Bratislava has called out Moscow for causing the damage to the pipeline.
US eyes 4 July deadline
Meanwhile, media reports indicate the United States is seeking to end the war by 4 July — US Independence Day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the US proposed ending the war before summer because later Washington's priority would shift to US congressional elections, Euromaidan Press reported earlier.
Reuters reported that American and Ukrainian negotiators discussed the possibility of signing a peace agreement in March and holding elections in Ukraine in May.
Today, 24 February, marks four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Senior EU diplomats gathered in Kyiv for the anniversary, underscoring Europe's commitment to Ukraine at a time when its influence over the peace process remains limited.
