The European Union is moving towards unlocking €6.6 billion in military assistance for Ukraine, stepping up pressure on Russia’s war finances, and weighing enhanced maritime security measures in the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed regional tensions, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.
Addressing media persons ahead of an informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Cyprus, Kallas said Europe was entering a critical phase in its support for Ukraine while confronting growing security challenges from the Middle East to the Baltic Sea.
“We are moving on with the unblocking of the €6.6 billion in the European Peace Facility,” Kallas announced, describing the move as a “very, very important step” for sustaining military support to Kyiv.
She said ministers would discuss how the funds should be used, balancing reimbursement for member states that have already supplied military aid with the need to deliver fresh assistance to Ukraine.
The EU foreign policy chief also voiced concern over the latest escalation around the Strait of Hormuz, warning that rising tensions threatened regional and global stability.
“The region does not need escalation, but actually that parties sit down to a negotiation table and agree,” she said, adding that ministers would review ways to strengthen the EU’s maritime mission, Operation ASPIDES European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Aspides).
In a significant step, Kallas revealed that EU freedom-of-navigation sanctions against Iran would be enforced for the first time.
On Russia, Kallas said the bloc was intensifying efforts to target Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet, which is used to evade sanctions and generate revenue for the war in Ukraine.
“Operation IRINI has changed the rules of engagement and has now started to board the ships as well,” she said, adding that the vessels posed security and environmental risks while helping finance Russia’s military campaign.
Kallas also suggested that the EU should consider new sanctions against sectors that continue to generate revenue for Moscow.
“Wars also end when aggressors run out of money,” she said, commenting on reports of continued trade flows benefiting Russia despite existing sanctions.
On prospects for peace talks, Kallas said Moscow had yet to demonstrate a genuine willingness to negotiate.
“They should first start with a ceasefire to sit down at the negotiation table,” she said, pointing to continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
“We need to put more pressure on them, and also increase our support for Ukraine,” she added.
Kallas further stressed that any future settlement must take into account Europe’s core security interests, including sanctions policy and frozen Russian assets.
The ministers were also expected to discuss strengthening Europe’s anti-drone capabilities and expanding cooperation with Ukraine’s defence industry, which Kallas described as possessing valuable battlefield experience.
Referring to recent political developments in Armenia, Kallas welcomed what she described as a public mandate for closer ties with Europe.
“It looks like now that Armenia’s people, although under heavy Russian pressure, still chose to have a European future,” she said.
The informal meeting in Nicosia is also reviewing the contours of a future European Security Strategy as the EU seeks to bolster its defence posture amid mounting geopolitical challenges.
The statement by Kallas comes hours after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Union’s 21st sanctions package against Russia, saying Moscow’s war effort was weakening under mounting economic pressure and that the bloc would continue to tighten restrictions on key sectors.
Addressing a press conference, von der Leyen said Russia had failed to achieve its objectives in Ukraine despite more than four years of war.
“Four years after the start of its full-scale invasion, Russia has clearly failed to subjugate Ukraine. The price Russia pays is heavier by the day, and it is paid primarily by the people of Russia,” she said. UNI AAB
The European Commission chief pointed to rising inflation, high interest rates and declining living standards in Russia, arguing that EU sanctions were “weakening the economic foundations of Russia’s war effort.”