MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 31 (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles during Russian-Laotian talks astatine the Kremlin connected July 31, 2025 successful Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is not really funny successful negotiating erstwhile helium meets his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to sermon the warfare successful Ukraine, European Union overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas told CNBC connected Tuesday.
European officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have expressed concerns astatine being sidelined from the Putin-Trump gathering successful Alaska connected Friday. The Ukrainian person warned that Russia is readying further offensives and cannot beryllium trusted, portion European leaders person been scrambling to unafraid Ukraine a spot astatine the table.
"In bid to person immoderate woody implemented, you request Europe and you request Ukraine. So it is wide that Putin is conscionable pretending to negotiate," Kallas said connected CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe."
"Putin doesn't privation Zelenskyy astir that table, due to the fact that that would uncover that helium really doesn't privation to negotiate, and helium conscionable wants to person a representation with President Trump and besides postpone sanctions," she said. CNBC has contacted the Kremlin for a effect to Kallas' claims and is awaiting a response.
European officials and Zelenskyy have been sidelined from the Putin-Trump gathering successful Alaska connected Friday, which has caused overmuch irritation. Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is readying further offensives and cannot beryllium trusted, portion European leaders person been scrambling to effort and power Trump and get Ukraine a spot astatine the table.
European leaders, including Zelenskyy, are acceptable to conscionable for a virtual acme aboriginal connected Tuesday, which volition reportedly absorption connected ways to unit Russia, the destiny of Ukrainian territories seized by Russia and imaginable information guarantees for Kyiv. Trump has besides been invited.
U.S. has threatened, but not yet implemented sanctions connected Russia. European officials person agelong been trying to unit Washington D.C. to instrumentality measures, which could enactment unit connected Putin.
Ahead of the talks betwixt Trump and Putin, concerns person besides grown that the U.S. president whitethorn prosecute a solution that would beryllium unfavourable for Ukraine.
Trump suggested connected Monday that determination could "some swapping" of territory arsenic portion of a bid woody though helium insisted the U.S. "would effort to get immoderate of that territory backmost for Ukraine."
The EU's Kallas connected Tuesday said nary woody could beryllium implemented down Ukraine's back. When asked astir however the EU could respond should Trump hold to cede immoderate Ukrainian territory to Russia, she said: "How would that enactment successful practice, similar really, if Ukraine doesn't hold to this, past however would it truly work?"
Putin intelligibly conscionable wants concessions, she said, adding that earlier immoderate talks astir ceding territory, a ceasefire should beryllium discussed.
"Just to callback that Ukraine agreed to unconditional ceasefire already 5 months ago, and since then, Putin and Kremlin, Russia has conscionable been playing games," Kallas said.
"Russia could halt this warfare today. Just halt bombing the civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the warfare would beryllium over," she added.
The EU diplomat besides addressed tensions wrong the bloc regarding its attack to the war.
Hungary, which has antecedently created hurdles for the support of EU sanctions against Russia, this week chose not to endorse a connection by the bloc that said Ukraine indispensable beryllium escaped to determine its ain future.
"We decidedly besides request to sermon our moving methods, due to the fact that this is simply a important clip for Europe, it is simply a important clip for our security, and we request to beryllium capable to follow decisions. We person been capable to follow decisions truthful far, but it's of course, progressively much difficult," Kallas said.
— CNBC's Holly Ellyatt and Silvia Amaro contributed to this report.
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