Kaja Kalas: The EU must increase pressure on Russia and reconsider relations with Israel
COPENHAGEN – The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, stated after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers that Russia shows no intention of ending the war in Ukraine but is preparing to intensify it. She announced an increase in sanctions against Moscow and the continuation of discussions on the use of frozen Russian assets. “The European Union and all member states support diplomatic efforts to achieve peace and end the Russian war, but it is clear – Russia is not preparing for peace. On the contrary, they are preparing for more war,” Kallas said, as reported on the EU website.
She reminded that this week Russia carried out the second largest airstrike on Kyiv since the beginning of the war, which also hit the infrastructure of the EU and other international organizations. “This week, Russia conducted the second strongest airstrike on Kyiv since the beginning of the war. Civilian targets were destroyed, including buildings used by the European Union and the British Council,” Kallas noted. EU ministers, she added, discussed “possible grounds for a new package of sanctions” that would include secondary sanctions for those supporting the Russian war, as well as import bans and the introduction of tariffs on Russian goods. “The goal is to exert maximum pressure on Russia,” Kallas emphasized, adding that new measures would be more effective “if supported by our transatlantic partners.” She highlighted that there was a “very good and substantive discussion” among ministers about using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s defense. “One thing is absolutely clear and everyone agreed on this: given the destruction that Russia has caused in Ukraine, it is unimaginable to ever see that money again – unless it fully compensates for the damage it has caused,” Kallas stated.
She added that markets did not react negatively to the freezing of assets and that “there are risks, but I believe we can mitigate them.” Speaking about the situation in the Middle East, Kallas said that Israel’s announcement that Gaza is a combat zone could further worsen the humanitarian situation. “Gaza needs less, not more war. If a military solution were possible, this war would have already been over,” Kallas said. She emphasized that the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank is “illegal and undermines the two-state solution.” She pointed out that some EU member states have already imposed measures “not against Israel, but against the Israeli government,” including sanctions on ministers and suspensions of arms exports. “There is no sugarcoating the situation we are in,” Kallas said, noting that EU member states are divided on specific steps, but that “the majority advocating for additional measures is growing.” She also expressed doubt about the EU’s ability to make and implement decisions in foreign policy, calling for a reform of working methods. “My personal feeling is that the citizens of Europe are losing trust in the EU if we are unable to deliver results,” Kallas said. Speaking about her own role, she emphasized that it is not easy to be “the person who is blamed when a decision is absent,” since decisions in the EU are made by all 27 member states by consensus. “It is difficult. But as the High Representative, I do not make decisions – all member states must do that together,” Kallas concluded. As she noted, EU foreign ministers today “did not have enough time” to consider possible changes to the decision-making mechanism on foreign policy issues, which implies that certain decisions are made by a majority of EU member states without full consensus, especially in cases where one country slows down the decision-making process at the EU level. (August 31)
