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Europe Today: Exclusive interview with Kaja Kallas, EU foreign affairs chief
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READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/02/09/europe-today-exclusive-interview-with-kaja-kallas-eu-foreign-affairs-chief
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning, it is Monday the 9th of February. I'm Maeve MacMahill and this is Europe Today.
00:21Your daily dose of European news and analysis live here on Euronews.
00:26Coming up, the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina are well and truly underway after a remarkable opening ceremony.
00:35But politics has inevitably trickled into the Games.
00:39Despite organisers' efforts to keep sport separate from current affairs, opposition to President Trump's policies, both at home and abroad, has been on clear display.
00:49For more on the significance of this, our EU news editor, Maria Tadeo, joins me here in the studio.
00:54Good morning, Maria.
00:55So look, a spectacular opening ceremony, but also very political.
00:59Yes, and look, ultimately the Olympics is still one of those big global events that can still bring a big audience, right?
01:06There's a good feel around it.
01:07It's obviously the athletes, the effort, the discipline that goes into it.
01:11A ceremony that was indeed very beautiful, very Italian in a way, very different to Paris.
01:17Certainly more traditional.
01:18There's this idea that Italians like about themselves, and they like to export that to the world.
01:23It's obviously the colours, the people, the food, the clothes, of course, is the fashion.
01:28There were uniforms by the late Giorgio Armani.
01:30But it was also very political because a U.S. delegation led by J.D. Vance was in Milan-Cortina.
01:36They took a meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
01:40J.D. Vance, by the way, he was booed on the stands at the Sincereo Stadium.
01:45Team USA walked out.
01:46A camera showed him and the stadium.
01:48You could really hear the boos.
01:50And maybe at some point, I guess, when you call your allies, well, weak, decaying,
01:55you say they're facing civilizational erasure, at some point you're going to encounter the real-life pushback.
02:00And that was very clear on the cameras that day.
02:03And beyond, of course, J.D. Vance, there were protests all along the weekend.
02:06We saw some spectacular images, which hopefully we can put up on the screen,
02:10clashes between protesters and the police.
02:13Those are stones, fireworks.
02:15There's a sort of a collusion of issues here.
02:17Some are protesting what they think will be a Winter Olympics that will not really bring any benefits to Milan.
02:23There's a cost of living.
02:24We also knew in anticipation to the Games that there were protests to what was perceived as Trump policies.
02:29And there was a controversy as to whether or not ICE was going to participate.
02:32The Italian government insisting that they will handle the bulk of the security.
02:36And on that note, Giorgia Meloni yesterday put out a statement, some words on social media,
02:41a heavy-worded statement saying there are many Italians who are working around the clock
02:46to show a very beautiful image of Italy, but then there are them.
02:50And those are the enemies of Italy and Italians demonstrating against the Olympics
02:55and ensuring that these images, of course, of protests that we just saw are broadcast on television screens around the world
03:02and really dampen the Winter Olympics.
03:04This has created another controversy in the country, some suggesting that the idea of enemies of Italy and Italians,
03:10that is simply too much.
03:12The opposition saying that this is really about curtailing freedom of speech.
03:15And we should also note that in the run-up to the Winter Olympics,
03:18the Italian government approved a decree that allows for stricter security.
03:21So, yes, there are the games and we love to see those, but certainly there is politics.
03:26It's never just about the sports.
03:27It never is. A lot to talk us through there, Maria, today.
03:30And just this week, looking ahead here in Brussels, a big one for diplomacy.
03:33We've got the EU Leaders Retreat taking place and also the Munich Security Council.
03:36Yeah, absolutely. So, an informal retreat will happen on Thursday.
03:40It's about competitiveness and how to improve the European economy.
03:43The focus is very much on the Mario Draghi and Leta report.
03:46Remember, they talked about how to reform the single market.
03:49Mario Draghi has been very present in the European public space and debate.
03:53He's now talking about this idea of a, quote, very pragmatic federal union.
03:58But remember, the idea of a federal Europe, it's always been a toxic term for some who say,
04:02look, the EU is not a federation and it was never intended to work like that.
04:06And then we have the Munich Security Conference.
04:08This time around, there's a lot of secrecy around the agenda,
04:10but we understand J.D. Vance will not be addressing the Munich Security Conference.
04:14It will be Marco Rubio.
04:16Remember, last year, that really ruffled feathers.
04:18He talked about the idea of a woke Europe, the climate, Greta, the migrants and so on.
04:23This time, it seems just by the headliners of this U.S. delegation
04:26that it could probably opt for a more diplomatic approach.
04:30Okay, Maria Steyer, thank you so much for that.
04:32And of course, you'll be in Munich covering that for us, that conference.
04:35But coming up, we'll be joined by the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
04:42Kaia Callas, the former Prime Minister of Estonia, also previously served as a member of the European Parliament.
04:49And she now holds the EU's most senior diplomatic role.
04:53Executive Vice President Callas.
04:55Good morning.
04:56Great to have you with us this morning in the studio.
04:58Good morning.
04:59Look, did you see those images first of the U.S. Vice President being booed at the Games?
05:04What does this all say about the EU-U.S. bond?
05:07Well, I guess we have heard a lot of not so nice words from the United States regarding Europe.
05:15And of course, our public also has a pride, European pride.
05:19So it shows.
05:21But it will be an intense Munich Security Council.
05:24Yes, it will.
05:26I think we have a lot of things going on in the world, whether it's in the Middle East, whether it's in Ukraine.
05:33There are a lot of tensions all around the world.
05:35So definitely, we're going to have good discussions.
05:39Well, on those tensions, let's first talk about the talks in Abu Dhabi, the U.S.-led talks.
05:44Have you any trust in them?
05:45Well, we haven't seen Russia really taking the talks seriously because, you know, while Ukraine already agreed to unconditional ceasefire over a year ago, then Russia keeps on bombing.
05:59I mean, just yesterday we heard how they're bombing civilians, civilian infrastructure all the time.
06:05Plus, they don't really have serious people, you know, behind that table.
06:09So I don't expect anything out of this, really.
06:12So do you trust the Americans to lead these talks?
06:16Well, the Americans have been bringing together the Russians and the Ukrainians.
06:22But eventually, it's also clear that we haven't seen any concessions on the Russian side.
06:27We only have seen what Ukrainians are willing to concede in order to end this war.
06:33But if you look at the bigger picture, then, you know, Russia is the problem that has been attacking its neighbours for over, you know, 100 years already.
06:44So in order to stop the war and prevent the war from expanding, we should have concessions on the Russian side.
06:51And are you concerned that the Ukrainians might have to give up territory if there's no Europeans around those table?
06:57Well, it is up to Ukrainians to decide what kind of concessions they are willing to make.
07:03And of course, every war ends in, you know, compromise or on concessions.
07:08But we have to understand how the Russian negotiation tactic is.
07:13It's always to, you know, demand something, absolute maximum, something that has never been yours, and then present threats, ultimatums, use force.
07:23And then eventually there will always be people in the West who will offer you something so that you walk away with more than you had.
07:30And we have to keep this in mind because, you know, the size of the Ukrainian army is not the problem because they haven't attacked Russia.
07:37The size of Russian army is a problem for all its neighbours.
07:40The size of Russian military budget is a problem for all.
07:45So we really need to see what kind of concessions are they willing to make.
07:50And just when it comes to the diplomatic efforts to end the war, what about an EU envoy?
07:54Do you support the idea of sending an EU envoy, someone who can directly talk to Vladimir Putin?
07:58Well, we have always talked to the Russians, but the point right now is not the person who does it, but more like how and what we want to get out of this.
08:08Right now we see the picture where, you know, the Russians seem to be having this Alaska understanding with the Americans.
08:17So they wait, the Americans also, to deliver by diplomatic means the things that they haven't really achieved militarily.
08:25If you think about the whole of Donbass, that they are still, you know, demanding.
08:30Now, you know, if we want to go to the table, so it's not that we can offer something on top of it because Ukraine has already made a lot of concessions.
08:40So you're against this idea of the EU envoy?
08:42No, no, no, no. The question is what we want to achieve and what I say is not about the person, but it's actually to really have concessions from the Russian side.
08:51But so far, if the Russians are thinking that they are getting their maximum, you know, goals from the Americans, why should they want to talk to the Europeans?
09:02Because we will only make demands for them.
09:05So that's why we have to work on our efforts to really put them in a position where they would go from pretending to negotiate to actually negotiate, which means the possession of strength.
09:17Okay. And just on Iran, we were following those talks carefully that took place on Friday in Oman.
09:23What is your view here? And do you think the EU has been doing enough as well to help Iranian civil society?
09:27Well, yes, we have supported Iranian civil society and, of course, the Iranian people as much as possible.
09:36Also, we have had diplomatic outreach and talks to the Iranians because we have a lot of worries.
09:42I mean, nuclear program, ballistic missile program, also their detention of European citizens is a problem for us.
09:50So we clearly want to have a diplomatic solution for this because the region does not need another war.
09:56But again, here it's the Americans leading and, of course, Trump, the Americans had the talks on Friday.
10:00Do you have any faith in the Americans?
10:02Well, of course, the Americans, the Iranians have to also agree because it's the American military threat that is hanging over the region.
10:13So that's why, you know, this is something that they need to come to a solution.
10:18But do you feel like you're always looking kind of on, observing from a distance?
10:21No, we have been in contact with them and also, you know, negotiating on.
10:26But it is clear that some ways, considering the military power that the U.S. has, they have more leverage.
10:34When it comes to European military power, then we are still building it.
10:39We are indeed. That's, of course, a big challenge for people here in Brussels.
10:42Kaya Callas, thank you so much for being our guest this morning on Europe Today and coming up to speak to us.
10:46We hope to see you again soon.
10:47But now it is time to turn our attention to Portugal, where devastating storms have overshadowed a highly anticipated presidential election this weekend.
10:56Severe flooding and fierce wind has turned off the power supply to thousands and seen a number of people lose their lives.
11:03Despite the disruptive weather and travel complications, turnout was high, though, for the second round of the presidential elections.
11:10Our correspondent in Lisbon, Joana Moura Carvalho, sent us this update on the outcome.
11:14It was a night of great celebration here in Caldas da Reina.
11:26Unsurprisingly, Antonio José Seguro was elected president of the Republic with almost 67% of the votes.
11:33Also, tonight, history was made.
11:36Seguro is the first socialist president in 20 years after Jorge Sampaio left office in 2006.
11:41Seguro also went over the 3 million vote mark, making him the most voted candidate in presidential elections.
11:47In his victory speech, Seguro promised to be a demanding and vigilant president, but never a counterweight.
11:53Prime Minister LuÃs Montenegro, who also reacted to the results, said that cooperation and partnership with Seguro will ensure political stability in the country.
12:00And for more on the outcome there in Portugal, do visit our website, yournews.com, or, of course, download our app.
12:14But now, Jakub Janusz has been looking into some interesting data about the amount of money in our pockets since the COVID-19 pandemic.
12:22Take a look.
12:25Europeans are getting richer.
12:27And since the pandemic, real household income has jumped by about 7%.
12:32But if you look closely at the map, you realise this isn't a shared meal.
12:37It is a very unequal dinner party.
12:40And right now, the East is ordering seconds.
12:44Poland, Romania, Hungary and Croatia are feasting, with their real incomes growing by around 15-20% in just 5 years.
12:54Meanwhile, the North is on a diet.
12:57Sweden, Finland and Denmark have barely touched their food, stuck with almost zero growth.
13:03And even the heavy eaters like Germany and Italy are just peaking at their plates.
13:10Real household income is what you can actually swallow after taxes and inflation.
13:15And in the North, high prices ate up the entire meal.
13:19That is not the case in the East of Europe, where wages grew fast enough to beat the bill.
13:25But hold on.
13:26Before you feel sorry for the West, remember, portion sizes are still very different.
13:31Citizens in Luxembourg and Germany still have the biggest plates in Europe,
13:36with purchasing power nearly five times higher than in Bulgaria.
13:41Or, in simple words, look at this avocado index.
13:45In Luxembourg, an hour of work buys you enough avocados for a party-sized bowl of guacamole.
13:51And in Bulgaria, just a small dip.
13:53But if you are not a stereotypical millennial who, a friendly reminder, is now in their mid-30s
14:00and probably due for a colonoscopy soon, maybe pick a tomato instead.
14:06Because, let's be honest, at least the tomatoes in Sofia actually taste like tomatoes.
14:12Yeah, could be honest, there for us.
14:19But now stay with us, as coming up, we'll be joined by Mitra Heja-Zipur.
14:23The Iranian-French chess grandmaster is the winner of the Iranian Women's Championship,
14:28but actually got expelled back in 2020 for not wearing a hijab.
14:32She's also since written a book called The Chess Player.
14:35Mitra, welcome to Euronews.
14:36Great to have you on Europe today.
14:38I think it's the first time we had one of the greatest chess players in the world on our set.
14:41So, lovely to have you with us.
14:43Good morning. Thanks for having me.
14:44And, of course, earlier we had Kaya Callas here, the Foreign Affairs Chief of the European Union.
14:49We were speaking to her about the situation in Iran.
14:51It's obviously very close to you.
14:53Can you just bring us up to speed, reminder of yours now,
14:55what the situation on the ground is like since the brutal crackdown a few weeks ago
15:00and how are your friends and family doing?
15:03Yeah, actually, the new vague of protests in Iran started from 28 December
15:08and there were millions of Iranians who took the streets and they were chanting death to the dictator
15:13and they were calling the return of Reza Pahlavi.
15:16Actually, he is the main alternative after the collapse of the regime
15:20and he is a legitimate leader for the transition phase
15:26and he wants to establish a democratic system in Iran after the collapse of the regime.
15:33And based on the videos and testimonies that come out of Iran,
15:37it shows that it was a bloody massacre and it was a brutal repression.
15:42They killed almost more than 30,000 of Iranians.
15:48They used the military weapons and we saw that they used the snipers on the rooftops.
15:55They aimed at the head of people.
15:57There are thousands of corpses on the streets.
16:00The people are looking for their victims.
16:02They are charged to money for the bullets.
16:06They killed their loved ones.
16:09And meanwhile, President Trump had promised people that the help was on the way
16:14and encouraged people to take to the streets, but then was missing in action.
16:17How are people feeling now about President Trump's various calls?
16:21Yes, actually, as you mentioned, Trump said that the help is on the way
16:24and based on the videos and testimonies, the people of Iran, they asked for this help
16:29and they hope to have this help in this intervention, this military intervention.
16:34Actually, if the international community stays in action, then the regime will continue this massacre
16:42and there are the thousands of political prisoners that they are sentenced to death penalties.
16:49And so, and any kind of negotiation with this regime is condemned to a dead end situation
16:56and any kind of deal with this regime will, it shows, it could be interpreted as a sign of weakness of Trump.
17:05So, I think the people of Iran ask for this help and we are still waiting.
17:11And what kind of help do you want?
17:12Do you want a military intervention?
17:14Do people, would people support this kind of military intervention that Trump is proposing?
17:17Yes, the majority of the Iranian people, they support the military intervention.
17:22As we saw, it was a bloody massacre.
17:26So, without military intervention, they will continue to massacre the people.
17:32And, yeah, we hope that it comes from the United States.
17:37So, that's the Americans.
17:38But what about the Europeans, of course, we're in Brussels, you're in Brussels today speaking to us here.
17:43Do you feel that the EU has done sufficient for the Iranian people?
17:47I think we didn't have enough support from international community.
17:53At least I live in France.
17:55I didn't see this enough support from European countries.
18:01We saw that actually next week there will be huge demonstrations in Munich, Los Angeles, and Toronto.
18:12So, we will see the Iranian community out of Iran to support, to show the solidarity with the people of Iran.
18:21So, what would your message be to Europeans, to our viewers watching today, and also to Kayakalas, the EU Foreign Affairs Chief, and to EU Heads of State and Government?
18:27We need more support for the intervention for the international military.
18:31We need to fire, to expel the Iranian diplomats, because they are the criminals, and also to recognize Reza Pahlavi as a main figure of opposition,
18:48because he is legitimate, and the people of Iran, they chanted his name in four corners of Iran.
18:56So, we need more support for it, too, yeah.
19:00Okay, Mitra, thank you so much for coming in to us today and speaking to us here on Europe Today.
19:04Mitra Hejazipour, their famous Iranian-French chess player.
19:08But that does bring this edition of Europe Today to an end.
19:12Thank you so much for your company.
19:14As always, you can visit yournews.com if you need more news, more analysis, and more context on any of the stories we're covering for you here.
19:22Well, thank you so much again for tuning in.
19:24Take care.
19:24Goodbye from Brussels.
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