Kaja Kallas

Rule Changes

Coordinating EU diplomatic and sanctions response

The Group of Seven industrialized nations and their allies have tried since late 2022 to curb Russia’s oil income by capping the price of its seaborne crude, using their dominance in shipping and insurance to keep barrels flowing while limiting revenue for the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. In February 2026, the European Union and United Kingdom began enforcing a reduced cap of 44.10 dollars per barrel under a dynamic mechanism that adjusts every 22 weeks to stay 15% below average market prices for Russia’s Urals crude, but the United States has so far kept its own 60‑dollar ceiling in place.

Updated Mar 7

Rule Changes

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 Jan 31

Rule Changes

Signed Security and Defence Partnership with India

India and the European Union became strategic partners in 2004. Twenty-one years later, at the 16th EU-India Summit on January 27, 2026, they signed a Security and Defence Partnership that makes India the third Asian country—after Japan and South Korea—to gain formal access to European defence initiatives. The two sides also concluded negotiations on a historic free trade agreement covering 2 billion people and representing a combined market of $27 trillion. Once the FTA completes legal vetting and enters force in 2027, Indian firms will be able to participate in the EU's €150 billion SAFE rearmament programme.

Updated Jan 30