Russia's army and military budget should be curbed to make sure the war in Ukraine really ends, EU's foreign chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday (November 26).

"If we want to prevent this war to continue, then actually we should curb the army of Russia and also their military budget," Kallas told reporters following a video conference with EU foreign ministers, adding that any peace agreement needs to include concessions from Russian side.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday (November 25) he was ready to advance a U.S.-backed framework for ending the war with Russia and discuss disputed points with Trump in talks he said should include European allies.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (NOVEMBER 26, 2025) (EUROPEAN UNION - Access all)

1. EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, APPROACHING LECTERN

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

"An immediate and unconditional ceasefire must be the first step to ending the war. But right now, we see zero indication that Russia is ready for a ceasefire. Russia is not winding down. It's a military machine, but ramping it up. We still need to get from a situation where Russia pretends to negotiate to a situation where they need to negotiate."

3. PRESS CONFERENCE ONGOING

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

"The notion that Ukraine is losing is also flat-out false. If Russia could conquer Ukraine militarily, it would have already done so by now. Putin cannot achieve his goals on the battlefield, so he will try to negotiate his way there. To secure the best outcome for Ukraine and Europe, we have to stay the course but pick up the pace. This means more sanctions to deprive Russia of the means to fight and more military and financial support to Ukraine."

5. PRESS CONFERENCE ONGOING

6. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

"In any peace agreement, we have to put the focus on how to get concessions from the Russian side, that they stop aggression for good and do not try to change borders by force. There are rarely wars in the world where the situation is so clear-cut as it is here. We have one aggressor and one victim. The focus should be on what Russia, the aggressor, must do, not what Ukraine, the victim, must sacrifice."

8. PRESS CONFERENCE ONGOING

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

"All this work is ultimately about ensuring that Russia never attacks again. The European Union will always support peace. And we are in favor of any peace plan that will bring a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, but also ensures the security for Europe tomorrow."

10. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

"Thank you. This is a very good question. Exactly that in order, if we want to prevent this war from continuing, then actually we should curb the army of Russia and also their military budget."

12. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

"If we want this to not happen again, if we want this not to continue and go any further, then we need to have a just and lasting peace. And I will fight for this as long as I can, because I really think that this is a matter of the bigger picture of European security as well. If aggression pays off, it will be, you know, it will serve as an invitation to use aggression again and use it also elsewhere."

14. KALLAS LEAVING