cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5816495

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Russia should “curb” the size of its army and military budget in order to ensure a lasting peace in Ukraine, said the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, adding that Western leaders should not fall into the “trap” of discussing restrictions on Kyiv’s army during peace talks with Moscow.

Kallas’ comments come after US President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on Brussels and Kyiv over the past week to end the war on terms that many regard as favourable to Moscow – including by potentially limiting the size of Kyiv’s military.

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The former Estonian prime minister added that current peace plans overwhelmingly seek “concessions” from Kyiv but not from Moscow, and warned that the Kremlin’s soaring military expenditure – expected to reach 7.2% of the country’s annual GDP this year – poses a “threat to us all”.

“We have always said that it’s a sovereign right for every country to decide the size of the military, and that’s why we shouldn’t walk into that trap that Russia is setting, talking about capping [the] Ukrainian army,” Kallas said. “I mean, Ukraine has never attacked Russia.”

Her latter remarks were echoed earlier on Wednesday morning by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“As a sovereign nation, there can be no limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces that would leave the country vulnerable to future attacks,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

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