ISTANBUL

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Friday that Ukraine urgently needs more military support, stressing that “Ukraine needs backup now,” after Russia’s recent strikes on Kyiv that killed civilians and damaged the EU Delegation building.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU defense ministers, Kallas underlined that Russia’s latest wave of attacks showed Moscow’s disregard for peace efforts.

“These attacks show that Putin is just mocking any kind of peace efforts that are made,” she said.

“So what we have to do is impress pressure on Russia and this is really what they understand, the pressure.”

Kallas confirmed that ministers would focus on accelerating military aid.

“Ukraine needs all the military support right now, and that's why we are also discussing with the defense ministers, what more can we do now? We have the ammunition initiative, and we have put a deadline in the end of this year."

She said preparations were also underway for the “day after” any eventual peace agreement.

“On the European Union level, then what is our contribution to the security guarantees, is the training mission, military mission, and also the support for defense industry of Ukraine,” she explained.

“We are discussing today how to change the mandate of all those missions in order to be ready after any peace agreement is put in place. Some member states are saying, and sending their already, to send their troops. Some are not ready. But these discussions are still ongoing."

Kallas reiterated that only pressure could force Moscow to seek peace.

“Russia does not want peace. That is very clear right now, also the attacks that they are doing. So, we have to put the pressure on them so that they would also want peace, and this is the only thing that works on that.”

On sanctions, she said: “What will hurt them the most is, any sanctions on energy and all the, you know, secondary sanctions that Americans have put for example, but also financial services that really hinder them, the access to capital, what they so desperately need.”

Kallas noted that besides Ukraine, ministers would also address wider security issues, including Iran.

“When it comes to Iran, then you know all that yesterday, the snapback (mechanism to reimpose international sanctions) was started. So, we are entering a new phase this 30 days that is now giving us also the opportunity to really find diplomatic ways to find a solution.”

“The worries that we have with Iran are very clear when it comes to their nuclear program, when it comes to their ballistic missiles, also their support to Russia.”

- Sweden, Belgium, Lithuania back stronger support

Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said security guarantees for Ukraine must be robust and include US engagement.

“It goes back to what kind of a mission it would include, but I think it would (be) important to have a US engagement, into having a presence of the coalition of the willing,” he said.

Jonson noted Sweden could contribute “in the air domain or in the maritime domain” if conditions are met, and that consultations with Ukraine on its needs would be key.

“The road to peace is possibly two vehicles. One is increased support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The other one is increasing sanctions and pressures, Putin will not move unless there’s more pressure on Russia to come to the negotiation table and be serious about it,” he stressed.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken pledged military and training assistance, highlighting the delivery of fighter jets.

“On Ukraine, with everything we have, also F-16 will be delivered as soon as possible,” he said.

Francken also called for tougher measures: “We need to increase sanctions, and I think that a lot of packages are on their way. European Union can do a lot of things, but also with United States as our ally and partner, we need to step up our sanctions as well.”

He noted that training Ukrainian soldiers outside Ukraine was preferable until a cease-fire due to security risks.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene delivered a stark warning about Russia’s tactics.

“All Putin is doing is really installing, actually cheaply, buying time to kill more people and to imitate sort of willingness to maybe stop his own murderous action,” she said.

Sakaliene stressed that “Putin is not to be trusted” and that the best security guarantee is “twofold: strong Ukrainian army and pressure on Russia.”

She added that secondary sanctions were the “most efficient mechanism” to cut cash flow to Moscow’s war machine and confirmed Lithuania’s €30 million ($35 million) contribution under the “April format” weapons list initiative.