EU: Russia shows no signs of being ready to negotiate seriously

Kallas spoke at the session of the European Parliament (EP) General Assembly held in Brussels, titled "Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia and living in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine."

Stating that the EU supports "efforts towards a fair and lasting peace" in Ukraine, Kallas said, "The only problem is that Russia shows no signs of being ready to negotiate seriously." he said.

Kallas said that more than 20,500 Ukrainian children were taken to Russia illegally and said, "The treatment of Ukrainian children in the last 4 years is the clearest example of Russia's complete disregard for human life." he said.

Reminding that the EU imposed sanctions on individuals and organizations that played a role in the forced deportation of children, and in this context, an organization in North Korea was included in the sanctions list, Kallas suggested that it was possible that the children were sent to the front by Russia to fight against Ukraine.

Kallas stated that international efforts sometimes yield results, and as of this month, a total of 2,790 children have returned home.