Rubio abruptly cancels meeting with EU's Kallas – Euronews
A scheduled meeting in Washington involving the top diplomats from the EU and the US is said to be canceled because of “scheduling issues.” Read Full Article at RT.com
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EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas was scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, but the meeting was abruptly cancelled “due to scheduling issues,” as reported by Euronews on Wednesday.
During her official visit to Washington, Kallas aimed to discuss the Ukraine conflict and evolving transatlantic relations, with plans to meet representatives from the US Congress and Senate, as indicated by her spokesperson in the EU’s news network.
Initially planned for Wednesday, the anticipated bilateral talks with Rubio led to expectations of shared imagery from the meeting. However, a spokesperson for Rubio confirmed to Euronews that the cancellation was due to “scheduling issues,” noting that Kallas and Rubio had last met at the Munich Security Conference earlier in February.
Rubio's public calendar for February 26 did not include Kallas.
Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, has been vocal about her criticism of the current US administration’s approach to the Ukraine conflict, labeling President Donald Trump’s recent call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a type of “appeasement.” She has suggested that Washington has embraced a “Russian narrative” and emphasized that Brussels should “support Ukraine right now more than ever.”
Kallas pointed out that Moscow seemed to benefit from the recent US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia and stressed the necessity for any peace agreement on Ukraine to include both Europeans and Ukrainians to be effective.
Following the talks in Riyadh on February 18, Kallas communicated with Rubio, cautioning, “Russia will try to divide us. Let’s not walk into their traps.”
While announcing the now-cancelled meeting with Rubio on Monday, Kallas declared, “I have been very clear that no deal without us, without Ukraine or without Europe will work in practice – and that is for the US, which also needs to work with us.”
An unnamed EU diplomat commented on the cancellation for PMG, suggesting it “seems that the Trump administration doesn’t miss a chance to show that for them the EU is not a player.”
On the geopolitical front, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the aggressive stance of Ukraine’s EU supporters, deeming them unsuitable for the peace process. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Brussels on Wednesday of undermining peace efforts by encouraging Kiev to persist in its combat against Russia.
Recently, Kallas proposed extending arms deliveries to Ukraine through 2025, with a €10 billion package facing opposition from various EU member states, set to be discussed at the upcoming March 6 summit.
Moscow has consistently warned against the provision of Western arms to Ukraine, claiming that they only extend the conflict without changing its outcome and heightening the risk of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
During her official visit to Washington, Kallas aimed to discuss the Ukraine conflict and evolving transatlantic relations, with plans to meet representatives from the US Congress and Senate, as indicated by her spokesperson in the EU’s news network.
Initially planned for Wednesday, the anticipated bilateral talks with Rubio led to expectations of shared imagery from the meeting. However, a spokesperson for Rubio confirmed to Euronews that the cancellation was due to “scheduling issues,” noting that Kallas and Rubio had last met at the Munich Security Conference earlier in February.
Rubio's public calendar for February 26 did not include Kallas.
Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, has been vocal about her criticism of the current US administration’s approach to the Ukraine conflict, labeling President Donald Trump’s recent call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a type of “appeasement.” She has suggested that Washington has embraced a “Russian narrative” and emphasized that Brussels should “support Ukraine right now more than ever.”
Kallas pointed out that Moscow seemed to benefit from the recent US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia and stressed the necessity for any peace agreement on Ukraine to include both Europeans and Ukrainians to be effective.
Following the talks in Riyadh on February 18, Kallas communicated with Rubio, cautioning, “Russia will try to divide us. Let’s not walk into their traps.”
While announcing the now-cancelled meeting with Rubio on Monday, Kallas declared, “I have been very clear that no deal without us, without Ukraine or without Europe will work in practice – and that is for the US, which also needs to work with us.”
An unnamed EU diplomat commented on the cancellation for PMG, suggesting it “seems that the Trump administration doesn’t miss a chance to show that for them the EU is not a player.”
On the geopolitical front, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the aggressive stance of Ukraine’s EU supporters, deeming them unsuitable for the peace process. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Brussels on Wednesday of undermining peace efforts by encouraging Kiev to persist in its combat against Russia.
Recently, Kallas proposed extending arms deliveries to Ukraine through 2025, with a €10 billion package facing opposition from various EU member states, set to be discussed at the upcoming March 6 summit.
Moscow has consistently warned against the provision of Western arms to Ukraine, claiming that they only extend the conflict without changing its outcome and heightening the risk of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
