BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Western Balkans. The talks took place as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she hoped to advance new EU sanctions on violent Israeli settlers, measures she said had been stalled by former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attended the meeting and said Ukraine had emerged stronger after the most difficult winter and had stabilized its front. He said Ukraine had closed its airspace and could shoot down up to 90% of aerial objects attacking from Russia. Sybiha was also scheduled to attend talks at NATO and a separate forum on Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

"We noticed new some very interesting developments in Russia, not only in the economy. So we are following them," Sybiha said.

The ministers' discussions followed remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, when he said he thought the Ukraine war was winding down and suggested former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a potential negotiator to help end the conflict. Schröder, 82, has remained close to Putin long after leaving office and previously held roles in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and a seat on the board of Rosneft, which he gave up in 2022.

Kallas rejected the suggestion that Schröder could mediate. "If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, that would not be very wise. And second, I think Gerhard Schröder has been the high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies, so it's clear why Putin wants him to be the person so that actually he would be sitting on both sides of the table," she said.

Kallas also said Putin's calls for a ceasefire were "very cynical" because Russia was still attacking civilians in Ukraine while seeking the pause.

German Europe Minister Gunther Krichbaum also dismissed the idea of Schröder as an intermediary. "As you know, a mediator must be accepted by both sides, and this seems to be noticeably lacking here," Krichbaum said. "Close friendships may be legitimate everywhere in the world, but they do not contribute to being perceived as an honest mediating partner."