Ruptly

Are you concerned you're being sidelined on Ukraine by the E3 now?! - Kallas says 'countries that know Russia better should be heard' in jibe at UK, France, Germany

"EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas was asked about the bloc being sidelined in recent talks between the UK, France, Germany and Ukraine - and appeared to have a dig about the 'E3' - as she gave a presser during the defence ministers' meeting in Nicosia on Monday. "Are you in any way concerned that the EU and especially East European nations, might be sidelined from Ukraine-Russia diplomacy, particularly in view of the meeting of the E3 in London yesterday with President Zelensky?" one reporter put to her. She replied: "Like we were discussing last week with the foreign ministers also in Cyprus about the negotiations, what is the substance, what should be actually our asks to Russia because if we want to have a long-term sustainable peace, what are the Europeans' core interests? And of course, there also member states were voicing this, that clearly the countries that know Russia better than anybody should be heard." UK PM Keir Starmer, Germany's Friedrich Merz, France's Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky held talks in London on Sunday. Starmer and Merz are under pressure domestically following media reports that both could be replaced within months."