BRUSSELS 

Russia has "no legal right whatsoever" to demand concessions from Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Friday, stressing that any peace agreement must be determined solely by Kyiv.

Speaking after the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Brussels, the high representative said the war in Ukraine remains an "existential threat" to Europe and a direct challenge to the international rules-based order.

"We all want this war to end, but how it ends matters," Kallas said. "Rewarding Russia’s aggression will not make Ukraine, Europe, or the Indo-Pacific safer. Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded."

"Ultimately, the terms of any agreement are for Ukraine to decide. The EU has a simple two-point plan: support Ukraine and pressure Russia," she added.

Kallas warned that calls to soften sanctions or delay discussions on using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine would only serve Moscow's interests.

"Today is supposed to be the day when the US sanctions against Russia will kick in. I hope we do not see today a decision that these sanctions are postponed, because, then, this is exactly what Russia wants," she said, adding that the EU must avoid "walking into these traps."

The forum, bringing together representatives from 64 countries, also focused heavily on maritime security and the protection of undersea infrastructure, which carries 95% of trans-regional digital data.

Kallas announced the launch of a new EU initiative aimed at strengthening the resilience of critical maritime infrastructure and encouraging innovation to protect sea lines of communication.

Highlighting the EU's three pillars of cooperation with the Indo-Pacific, security, economic partnership and sustainability, Kallas noted growing defense collaboration with Japan, South Korea, and India.