Arab News | Russia ‘not in a position’ to make security demands of Europe: Latvia PM

DUBLIN: Russia is “not in a position” to seek new security arrangements from Europe, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs told AFP on Friday, after Moscow demanded Europe’s broader security framework be made part of Ukraine talks.

US leader Donald Trump’s team has proposed including discussions on broader European security arrangements as part of efforts to halt Moscow’s war.

Russia meanwhile appears to want to revive hard-line demands to roll back NATO — drawing strong pushback from European leaders meeting in Dublin, including Kulbergs.

“Europe is the military power. Europe is times bigger in military, times bigger in economy, and in leadership. So I think they are not in a position to really put on a table demands,” he told AFP after EU leaders met in Dublin.

“We should understand who is who, in size and capabilities,” he added.

Europe has been seeking a greater say in Trump’s efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine, and US envoys said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had given a green light for them to join talks.

Under pressure to name their envoys to any future talks, leaders Friday agreed Europe would be represented by Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the EU’s institutions, which Kulbergs said was “a good decision.”

With the decision taken on representation, a senior EU official said Europe could now focus on discussing the content of negotiations with Russia.

Kulbergs, however, did not believe Putin wanted real peace in Ukraine, after two days of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi.

Those talks ended with Russia and Ukraine agreeing their biggest ever release of prisoners, which Kulbergs said was a “good sign” but “not enough.”

“If Putin wants real peace, then cease fire,” he said — calling on the United States to put more pressure on Russia to end the war.

“The Americans… have big balls, so they could actually push Russia into real peace negotiations,” the Latvian leader said. This could include sanctions on Russia and providing Ukraine with “real weapons.”