DUBLIN: Russia is “not in a position” to seek new security arrangements from Europe, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs told AFP on Friday, after Moscow demanded Europe’s broader security framework be made part of Ukraine talks.
US leader Donald Trump’s team has proposed including discussions on broader European security arrangements as part of efforts to halt Moscow’s war.
Russia meanwhile appears to want to revive hard-line demands to roll back NATO — drawing strong pushback from European leaders meeting in Dublin, including Kulbergs.
“Europe is the military power. Europe is times bigger in military, times bigger in economy, and in leadership. So I think they are not in a position to really put on a table demands,” he told AFP after EU leaders met in Dublin.
“We should understand who is who, in size and capabilities,” he added.
Europe has been seeking a greater say in Trump’s efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine, and US envoys said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had given a green light for them to join talks.
Under pressure to name their envoys to any future talks, leaders Friday agreed Europe would be represented by Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the EU’s institutions, which Kulbergs said was “a good decision.”
