Kaja Kallas faced a pointed question during a press appearance, asking how European leaders “feel” about the United States and Russia “working behind their backs.” The remark, referring to recent diplomatic developments involving Washington and Moscow, appeared to catch Kallas off guard.
Kallas pushed back against suggestions of division within the bloc, insisting that EU ministers remain “solid and calm” and fully aligned on Europe’s strategic direction. She emphasized that the European Union is closely coordinated on foreign policy decisions and maintains open communication with its international partners.
00:00The European Union has always supported a just, lasting, and a comprehensive peace.
00:05Today we discussed, of course, the latest developments,
00:09and Minister Sibiha briefed us on Ukraine's perspective.
00:13Our position hasn't changed.
00:15For any peace plan to succeed, it has to be supported by Ukraine,
00:21and it has to be supported by Europe.
00:24If Russia really wanted peace,
00:26they would have accepted the unconditional ceasefire offer already in March.
00:31The pressure must be on the aggressor, not on the victim.
00:35Rewarding aggression will only invite more of it.
00:40The EU has a very clear two-point plan.
00:43First, weaken Russia.
00:45Second, support Ukraine.
00:47Today, the head of the European Intelligence Center and the EU sanctions envoy
00:53briefed on the impact of sanctions.
00:55The data is very clear.
00:57The export of Russian crude oil is the lowest it has been in months.
01:02Russian tax revenues from oil are the lowest since the war started.
01:07Sanctions are hitting Russia hard, and more are coming.
01:11Going after Russia's shadow fleet remains a priority,
01:15and we had a very intensive discussion about what we can do more.
01:19The EU has already sanctioned over 550 ships,
01:25and we have conducted extensive diplomatic talks with flag states that register vessels.
01:31Now we aim to have pre-boarding agreements with these states.
01:36This is a legal way for one party to board and search a vessel of another country.
01:42Slowing down the shadow fleet costs Russia revenues.
01:45This is why we will work on more sanctions on shadow fleet, both vessels as well as enablers.
01:53Many ministers also raised the financial support for Ukraine.
01:56The reparations loan is the most clear-cut way to sustain Ukraine's defense.
02:02It is also the way to show Russia that time is not on their side.
02:08Supporting Ukraine is a bargain compared to the costs of Russian victory.
02:13Today, we also address the attacks on Poland's railway network.
02:18Russia's hybrid actions in Europe are increasingly brazen.
02:22Russia is committing state-sponsored terrorism.
02:25There are many ways we can respond, including additional sanctions and tackling online recruitment of saboteurs.
02:33Then on Gaza, the United Nations Security Council resolution for an international stabilization force is a game-changer.
02:41Peace depends on Hamas not having a role, but it also depends on international partners having a role.
02:48EU staff are already working in the coordination center focusing on humanitarian and security issues.
02:55And today, ministers discussed options to expand the EU border monitoring mission in Rafa to other crossing points.
03:03We also discussed whether the EU police support mission could take the lead in training the Palestinian police.
03:10I welcome that France pledged 100 police officers for that mission.
03:14Today, we adopted sanctions against Abdel Rahim Dagalo, the RSF's second in command.
03:22And this sends a signal that the international community will come after those who are responsible.
03:28I think today we all have a strong sense of deja vu, no?
03:32Because this story, we have seen it before.
03:34The United States and Russia, they work on a plan behind everybody's backs.
03:38The plan is unacceptable to Ukraine.
03:40Europeans are angry.
03:42They demand a seat at the table.
03:43The media writes that Europe is being sidelined.
03:46I mean, you know how that goes.
03:48And it's a problem for you, at least for your public perception.
03:51What exactly can you do to change this, to ensure that this doesn't happen again?
03:55Because the stakes at play here are enormous for you, for the European Union.
04:00So what do you think you need?
04:01You need a new strategy, new approach, new channel of communication.
04:05What do you need to do to ensure this doesn't happen and you really have a seat at the table?
04:10Well, you know, ministers in the room were quite, you know, solid and I would say calm about this because we have seen this before.
04:27And because, you know, different peace plans cannot work if the Europeans and Ukrainians do not agree to this.
04:34So that's why we focus today's discussions on what are we doing and what is our course of action.
04:41Like I said, we have a two-point plan.
04:43One is to pressure Russia and today we discussed very intensively how to work on the shadow fleet because we also had the head of intelligence, European intelligence, in our meeting, giving concrete examples and numbers how the sanctions on shadow fleet are really affecting Russian revenues to fund this war.
05:09And this is our approach and that's why we focused on our approach for any peace plan to work.
05:17It needs Ukrainians and Europeans to agree.
05:20I just bring you one number.
05:22When we started with the shadow fleet, the first week, the effect, the revenues from oil dropped via the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, 30 percent, 30.
05:34And what we see, they are at the all-time lowest, but clearly we need to do more.
05:40It's not enough, but it clearly works.
05:42So I want to reiterate that.
05:45Now on the protection and infrastructure, it's clear that, you know, infrastructure under the sea or the trains or, you know, all the infrastructure that we have, you know, it requires a lot of effort to protect it along the way.
06:03So what are we doing?
06:04We are, of course, proposing new sanctions, but we also, you know, share the best practices, how to tackle the online recruitment.
06:15Because today we discussed also this.
06:17Who are those who are committing this?
06:19These are usually petty criminals that are pulled off, you know, to do these sabotage acts on behalf of others and, you know, to really tackle that.
06:32And that is the national competence.
06:34But because some countries have more experience with that than the others, than to share the best practices and to really be vocal about this, that all these petty criminals cannot get away with this.
06:48Ukraine, I want to come back to Ukraine.
06:51I know that today you were discussing the financing of Ukraine for the next two years, for 26-27.
06:58What is the main, the preferable for you, option of financing of Ukraine?
07:07We know that there are three options according to the options paper presented by commissions.
07:12And what is the situation with the frozen assets?
07:15Is it, will it be possible to use them?
07:19And what is the position of Belgium?
07:20Is it changing or is it the same thing?
07:22And if I make the second one, 20th package of sanctions, when it will be ready and maybe hope that it will be discussed by the leaders of the countries in December.
07:38We didn't discuss in depth the financing issue for Ukraine, although it was raised several times.
07:49And it is true that there is options paper on the table.
07:53Those countries that spoke for the financing also expressed their support for the reparations loan and also reiterated the urgency to move with that.
08:08So that is clearly the message that we got from that.
08:1320th package of sanctions, we are working with that.
08:15But we also discussed whether we could be more, you know, effective in doing steps on the way, not always concentrating on the big packages, but, for example, on the shadow fleet.
08:28I mean, Russia is very creative together with our partners, and we need to be creative as well, which means that to be more agile and actually, you know, put small things all the time on the table to tackle,
08:41to tackle, which means that not the big package every time, but every time some vessels that have an effect on the Russian crude oil exports.
08:52Well, I want to come back to Ukraine.
08:53It appears that President Zelenskyy is under pressure to actually accept this plan we have been talking about.
09:00What exactly, if anything, have you discussed in order to help him resist this pressure in particular?
09:12First, you know, we discussed that the pressure should be on the aggressor.
09:16I mean, we haven't seen one single concession from Russian side, and they are the ones who have started this war.
09:23They are the ones who have invaded another country.
09:25They are the ones who are doing the killings of the civilians in Ukraine.
09:30So, you know, they can also stop this war immediately.
09:34And that's why, you know, our approach is to put the pressure on the aggressor to really stop this.
09:42And this is the messages that we are conveying also to our other partners around the world.
09:50We are also, you know, the discussions regarding reparations loan is also about, you know, helping Ukraine to defend itself and sending a clear signal to Russia that they can't outlast Ukraine.
10:05This morning, you were asked if EU officials participated in the elaboration of transplants for Ukraine.
10:12And you replied that as far as you know, no EU official participated.
10:18At the end of this day, do you have time to check and can you tell us exactly if you think and if you know if any EU official participated in this plan?
10:31Thanks.
10:34Like I said, the discussions were very calm and focusing on the issues that we are doing because we have been quite steady in our plans.
10:44Whereas, you know, there are, you know, other things happening outside.
10:53But we have been very focused and stable in our plans, which was what we were discussing.
11:02So, no, to answer your question, nobody reflected that they were part of it.
11:10I have a number of questions on potential further measures against the shadow fleet.
11:17So, for instances, you've said that there should be continuous listings.
11:25Has this been agreed today or do you expect a decision in December?
11:31How about the pre-authorized boardings?
11:38You've been calling for this for some time already.
11:43Do you now have a tasking so that you can start negotiations?
11:49And then member states suggested to also go after third countries that support the shadow fleet or actors in third countries.
12:00Has this been agreed?
12:03So, basically, what's the way forward on this?
12:08Very, very good question.
12:11So, first on the rolling, you know, putting sanctions on the shadow fleet on more rolling basis than only in the packages.
12:24You know, the ideas come from member states and we agreed that, you know, they also provide the different ideas.
12:33And then we also work with the commission to be more agile in this regard.
12:39The majority who spoke on that said that they agreed to this approach, that we do it, you know, faster.
12:46We don't wait for next package because we saw and heard from the intelligence how these sanctions on the shadow fleet are really having an effect.
12:56So, we will work on that.
12:59Then, yes, it's true.
13:01I've been talking regarding this mandate to negotiate quite long.
13:07But, you know, in European Union, things take time.
13:10So, now we are at this point where we discuss this with the member states and we can proceed.
13:17Then, also, the third countries and the enablers, all the, you know, the services provided to those shadow fleet, we are doing the outreach and working together with also our other partners.
13:33I mean, what we saw today as well, what kind of effect it has when we do something alone, if we do it together with the United States and the UK or we do it with the UK and European Union.
13:49I mean, it's clear that we have the biggest effect if all US, UK and EU and other partners are also on board.
13:58First of all, the Ukrainian foreign minister was connected today by TC.
14:05So, my first question is, did he acknowledge that the plan exists?
14:10Because, as far as this is just some of your colleagues today described it as a speculation.
14:16We don't know what it is in there.
14:18So, I was wondering if the minister told you at least if there is something in there that he could share with you.
14:26And secondly, the reparation loan discussions obviously takes time.
14:34There is a rush to wrap it up before the end of the year.
14:38The money is needed.
14:39But, in the end, if there is a peace plan and if this peace plan appears very quickly,
14:46then it's very difficult to close a discussion on the reparation loan because maybe it's not useful anymore.
14:55So, my question is, do you think that at this moment who has the interest of going quickly in your police plan?
15:07Is it more Russia or is it more Ukraine?
15:09Of course, on one side, you know, Ukrainian people are killed every day.
15:17Their infrastructure is bombed every day.
15:20And, you know, the winter is coming.
15:23So, it's clearly that they are suffering the most.
15:26They want the suffering to end as fast as possible.
15:29That is very clear.
15:30But, at the same time, as, you know, it can't be with the price of, you know, giving up your country, basically.
15:39So, this is also quite clear.
15:42Now, that's why the work on the reparations loan has to continue because it makes also Ukraine stronger.
15:53And it makes, you know, it sends a very clear message to Russia that Russia can't outlast Ukraine.
16:01And I just remind you that Ukraine is fighting for their homeland, for their people, for their civilians.
16:08If over 93% of Russian targets have been civilian targets, it's just to cause as much harm and suffering to the people as possible.
16:19Any government cannot agree to that, that you actually, you know, award the one who is doing the killing.
16:30And that's why.
16:32I think, you know, it's also a question why Russia is now making a good face again.
16:38Because I think they are afraid of this reparations loan.
16:41I think they are coming to the point where, you know, they are running out of money and, you know, they want to show outside that they are super strong and everything.
16:55But actually, you know, it's not the case.
16:57So, I think, again, this gives us the reason to be strong, to keep on the course, to support Ukraine, but also pressure Russia.
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