European defense ministers warn Putin isn’t looking for peace

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said she expects a brutal winter ahead for Ukraine, emphasizing there is no hope for imminent peace. She made the remarks at a press conference in Paris on Monday, where she joined European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius and defense ministers from the E5 group (France, the U.K., Germany, Poland and Italy) hosted at the French armed forces ministry.

U.S. diplomatic push

The meeting came amid a renewed U.S. effort to push Ukraine into peace talks with Russia and growing doubts about Washington's support for Kyiv. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said last week he would offer direct talks between Russia's Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy to secure a ceasefire.

European defense strategy

While pledging total transparency with the U.S., France's Catherine Vautrin said the E5 members would work together concretely, focusing on arms production and interoperability. The ministers emphasized the need to produce more defense equipment faster and plan for future conflicts, with EU financial initiatives supporting this direction.

The U.K.'s Wes Streeting added: While none of us seek confrontation with Russia ... We do have to be aware of the threat posed by Russia. The ministers' statements reflect continued European commitment to supporting Ukraine despite diplomatic efforts from Washington.