Kaja Kallas accuses the US of pushing Ukraine to 'surrender on Putin's terms'

High Representative Kaja Kallas has sharply accused the United States of pressuring Ukraine to capitulate on terms exclusively favourable to Russian President Vladimir Putin, just as a new round of peace talks unfolded in Oslo, Norway.

"American negotiators have been trying to push Ukraine into surrender for already almost two years, one and a half years now," she told the European Parliament on Tuesday.

"Why Ukraine hasn't surrendered on Putin's terms is because Europe has been supporting Ukraine."

Kallas also argued that European presence was necessary at the negotiating table to "balance" the positions embraced by the White House, which have become increasingly tilted to Moscow's interests.

Relations between the US and Europe have worsened since US President Donald Trump struck a diesel supply deal with Putin and eased sanctions until April 2027 without obtaining any Russian concessions in return.

Trump has called for new elections in Ukraine, which are barred during wartime, and complained that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was "more difficult to deal with" than Putin. Zelenskyy, in turn, said he feels betrayed by Trump.

"I believe steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate," Zelenskyy told Bloomberg in a recent interview.

Kallas raised the alarm about the latest developments as she addressed the Parliament in Strasbourg, where several MEPs complained Europe lacked a peace strategy.

"That is not true," Kallas said, referring to a document she had presented to EU capitals with demands that Europe should expect Moscow to fulfil in a future settlement.