Kaja Kallas

Rule Changes

Rejected the US-Russia framework without European participation

European leaders rejected a US-Russian plan to rewrite Europe's security rules, saying Moscow should not hold a veto over NATO. Their rejection came before the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks in nine months, held in Abu Dhabi and ending on November 11 with a prisoner-exchange deal but no ceasefire.

Updated 2 hours ago

Rule Changes

Led the push for the sanctions package; called on the US to tighten pressure on Russia

The European Union added 1,569 Russian companies and executives to its sanctions list on October 12, its largest single expansion since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The targets supply parts such as semiconductors, radars, satellite systems and explosives for the missiles, drones and aircraft Russia uses in the war.

Updated Oct 28

Force in Play

Condemned six attacks on shipping in 10 days and said the strikes deepen a 'perfect storm' for world food supplies

A drone hit the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv about 13 nautical miles off Romania's Constanta port on Oct. 23, killing at least one of its 13 Ukrainian and Azeri crew. Nine sailors were rescued, three are still missing, and President Nicușor Dan said the strike was part of Russia's escalation in its war in Ukraine.

Updated Oct 25

Rule Changes

Said on Oct. 5 that reinstating Usmanov and Fridman is not likely soon

The European Union removed Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list on Sept. 22 and renewed restrictions on 2,998 other people and entities through September 2029. Estonia and Lithuania then imposed their own sanctions on the two men, and Ukraine said it would add 20 more Russian oligarchs to its list.

Updated Oct 22

Force in Play

Announced 1,600 new sanctions on Russia

Ukraine and Russia resumed attacks on each other's energy infrastructure this week, and the US-brokered ceasefire has collapsed. Russia sent a record swarm of drones across nine regions, cutting power to hundreds of thousands, while Ukraine struck an oil refinery in the Ryazan region.

Updated Oct 16

New Capabilities

As of September 2026: Former Estonian prime minister (2021-2024)

Planet Labs posts the orbital position of every satellite it flies, 97 of them, in one open file anyone can download. The same company delays or withholds its imagery of Middle East conflicts. Both moves respond to one fact: satellite data shapes war.

Updated Sep 10

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Leading European diplomatic response as more allies impose restrictions

Switzerland sold $119 million in arms to the United States in 2025 before halting all new orders on March 20, 2026, and closing its airspace to US military flights linked to the Iran war. Italy followed on March 22 with a suspension of new US arms export licenses. On March 30, Spain closed its airspace and blocked US military base use for Iran war operations, citing violations of international law.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Failed to build consensus for extending existing EU naval mandate

Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, 2026, after US-Israeli strikes, cutting off roughly a fifth of global oil supply. The US-Iran ceasefire, extended by Trump on April 21, holds formally. But Iran's May 10 counter-proposal demanded Iranian sovereignty over the strait, an end to all US sanctions, and an immediate lifting of the naval blockade. Trump called the response "totally unacceptable," and roughly 1,500 commercial vessels remain trapped inside the Persian Gulf.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Leading EU resistance to military involvement in Iran war

For 23 days since February 28, 2026, the US and Israel have conducted bombing campaigns against Iran under Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, prompting Iranian retaliation against US bases and NATO sites including French bases in Abu Dhabi, RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and a missile over Turkey. France authorized US support aircraft at Istres on March 5 with strict limits, but on March 16 European NATO allies rejected President Trump's demands for military assistance to reopen the Iranian-blocked Strait of Hormuz—Trump called the rejection a 'very foolish mistake' and declared the US needs no one's help.

Updated May 30

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Coordinating EU diplomatic and sanctions response

Since late 2022, the Group of Seven and allies have capped Russia's seaborne crude price using dominance in shipping and insurance. In February 2026, the EU and UK reduced the cap to $44.10 per barrel while the US kept its own $60 ceiling.

Updated May 26

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Led the designation effort

For over two decades, the European Union resisted designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, wary of severing diplomatic ties with Tehran. On January 29, 2026, that resistance collapsed. All 27 EU foreign ministers voted unanimously to place the IRGC on the same legal footing as al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Islamic State—a designation that triggers automatic asset freezes and travel bans across the bloc. Within hours, the United Kingdom signaled it would follow suit with separate legislation targeting hostile state agencies.

Updated May 23

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Signed Security and Defence Partnership with India

India and the European Union became strategic partners in 2004. At the 16th EU-India Summit on January 27, 2026, they signed a Security and Defence Partnership, making India the third Asian country (after Japan and South Korea) to gain formal access to European defence initiatives. They also concluded a historic free trade agreement (covering 2 billion people and a $27 trillion combined market) that enters force in 2027, giving Indian firms access to the EU's €150 billion SAFE rearmament programme.

Updated May 23