The EU’s foreign policy chief has warned against “walking into the traps that Russia is setting” as she said Moscow was trying to start a debate about European security in order to divert attention from its aggression.
asserted
Moscow → warn → aggression
“We have one aggressor and one victim, and the aggressor does not have security concerns,” Kaja Kallas said on arrival at an EU leaders’ summit in Dublin.
asserted
Kallas → have → Dublin
“Nobody has ever attacked them.
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Nobody → attack → them
They have attacked others.
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They → attack → others
I mean, keep the focus, people.”
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I → mean → focus
In talks on the Ukraine war, Russia has revived its hardline demands for a total overhaul of European security – demands that were rejected in 2021 because they were seen as an infringement of the sovereignty of central and eastern European countries.
asserted
they → revive → countries
The latest round of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US were held this week in Abu Dhabi.
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round → hold → Dhabi
Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said on Thursday night that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to expand the next round of peace negotiations to include the Europeans.
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Russia → say → Europeans
However, Russia quickly contradicted that assurance.
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Russia → contradict → assurance
European leaders have long said they will support Ukraine in any peace talks, but want to see a ceasefire before negotiations.
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they → say → negotiations
They also stress the continent has an extensive web of security agreements that Russia has violated.
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Russia → stress → that
Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said: “Russia wants to talk about questions of a European security architecture.
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Russia → say → architecture
We do not need to discuss that; it already exists.”
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it → need → that
He added that it was a “given” that his country would be part of any European delegation.
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country → add → delegation
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said it was “self-explanatory that Europe is included in the peace talks to safeguard our interests, but also to support Ukraine”.
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Europe → say → Ukraine
The Kremlin said on Friday: “Once we understand [Europe’s] real intentions and their willingness to contribute to the peace process, then we can make a decision on holding talks in an expanded format.”
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we → say → format
Russia’s lead negotiator in Abu Dhabi, Vladimir Medinsky, said it was “unclear what there is to discuss” with Europe.
uncertain
it → say → Europe
The US call to involve Europe in talks has turned the spotlight on who would represent it.
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who → involve → it
Despite more than two years of on-off talks, the EU has not settled on a choice.
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EU → settle → choice
But there is a growing view that Europe should not be represented by a single person, but by different interlocutors from the wider continent.
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Europe → be → continent
Paris and Berlin support a continued role for their own envoys in the E3 format of Britain, France and Germany, alongside EU representatives.
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Paris → support → representatives
Smaller member states put the emphasis more firmly on the EU representatives: the European Council’s president, António Costa, and Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
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states → put → affairs
Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said the discussion on who should represent Europe was “slightly overstated” as it had differing interests.
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it → say → interests
Some of the issues in peace talks were “pure EU interests”, he said, citing financing Kyiv and Ukraine’s future membership in the bloc.
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he → say → bloc
He also supported other formats, such as the “pretty uncomplicated” E3 and the “very legitimate” E5, which includes Italy and Poland, as well as a role for EU representatives.
asserted
which → support → representatives
He said: “I am quite flexible on that.
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I → say → that
I think what we actually say is more important than the exact configuration of the people in the room.”
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say → think → room
Several at the summit, including Kallas, also pointed to the importance of including the UK, a founder member of the coalition of the willing, a broad group of countries committed to future peacekeeping in Ukraine.
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Several → include → Ukraine
Ireland’s taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said the UK and Norway each had a significant role and “that all has to be taken into consideration because it’s a European, continent-wide issue”.
asserted
it → say → consideration
The British prime minister, Andy Burnham, said it was for the EU to decide who would represent the bloc.
asserted
who → say → bloc
He said there was a strong view among European leaders that it was for Europe – in the wider sense – “to decide its own arrangements” on security.
asserted
Europe → say → security
The Aporia
