EU blasts Russia's attacks, threatens new sanctions
Brussels was considering an 18th round of sanctions against Moscow and "we are also still in negotiations to put the oil price cap on, that would deprive Russia from the means to fund this war," Kallas said in an interview. Kallas was speaking on the sidelines of a regional meeting of foreign ministers in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, saying her presence was aimed at "doing outreach so that we can put more pressure together" on Russia.
Asked about reported claims that Moscow was planning to involve military personnel from Laos to bolster its efforts in Ukraine, Kallas said she raised the issue with Vientiane's top diplomat in a meeting on Friday. Kallas said she was assured that Laos had "no intention or willingness" to send military help to Russia. "I also expressed that it has consequences for European aid to Laos if something like this is happening," Kallas said. "If you (Laos) contribute to that existential threat, we can't have good cooperation," she warned.
Kallas' remarks came a day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had "frank" talks on the Ukraine war during a meeting on the sidelines of Asean. Rubio said Lavrov had shared new ideas on resolving the conflict, which he promised to present to US President Donald Trump, but played down the prospect of a breakthrough. US tariffs have also overshadowed the Asean gathering. Asked whether she would meet Rubio to discuss Washington's tariff plans for Brussels, Kallas said "we didn't have a chance to interact." "Our trade team is working very hard to come up with the solution and also to have agreements." "But we are not there yet," she said.
Kaja Kallas
The EU was hoping to strike a trade deal with Washington "in the coming days", a spokesman said on Wednesday. If the EU does not clinch an agreement with the United States, higher tariffs will return and risk unleashing a bitter trade war. The EU expected Trump to keep a 10-per cent baseline tariff on EU goods with exemptions for critical sectors, European diplomats said.
Also at the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was Australia's top diplomat Penny Wong, who equally condemned Russia's latest attacks. "We want the conflict resolved on Ukrainian terms, and we want to see Russia reflect on the position it is taking, which is in breach of international law," Wong told a news conference. Following this week's overnight strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged allies to quickly roll out fresh sanctions against Moscow.
Meanwhile, Russia said on Friday it would close Poland's consulate in Kaliningrad, a Moscow exclave near Poland and Lithuania, after Warsaw decided to shut the Russian consulate in Krakow. Diplomatic ties between Moscow and Warsaw have been historically strained and frayed further over Russia's offensive in Ukraine, which Poland is supporting politically and with military aid. In May, Poland ordered the Russian consulate in the southern city of Krakow shut after authorities accused Moscow of orchestrating a fire that destroyed a Warsaw shopping centre last year.
Poland — a Nato and European Union member — is one of the main countries through which Western nations supply weapons and ammunition to Kyiv. Russia vowed an "adequate response" and on Friday the foreign ministry said it was "withdrawing consent for the functioning of the Consulate General of Poland in Kaliningrad from August 29". It also said Poland's charge d'affaires in Russia was summoned and handed a formal note announcing the move. "This step was caused by the unfounded and hostile actions of the Polish side, expressed in the reduction of the Russian consular presence on the territory of Poland," it added. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
an hour ago
- Observer
Greek govt calls for EU farm scandal probe
ATHENS: The Greek government on Monday called for a special parliamentary committee to probe a European Union farm subsidies scandal, reportedly involving tens of millions of euros, that has seen at least two ministers put under EU investigation. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said the ruling conservative party would request an investigation into the 27-year operation of the Greek authority for the payment of common agricultural policy aid (OPEKEPE). "Our proposal concerns the period from the establishment of OPEKEPE in 1998 until today in order to investigate the dysfunctions, identify the problems and ensure complete transparency," Marinakis told reporters. An investigation by EU prosecutors has shown widespread abuse of funds at OPEKEPE, which according to the government annually disburses 2.5 billion euros to nearly 650,000 farmers. Reports said prosecutors suspect tens of millions of euros have been siphoned off. The investigation period is mostly under the current government, which came to power in July 2019. But the government argues that the fraud has lasted decades. In nearly 30 years, the Greek state has paid more than 2.7 billion euros in fines, Marinakis said. — AFP
Observer
an hour ago
- Observer
Britain and Europe are changing together
Many state visits are empty, symbolic acts that have little to no policy content or lasting significance. But every now and then, such a visit changes the shape of international relations. Could French President Emmanuel Macron's recently concluded trip to London be one of them? Macron's three-day trip, the first state visit to the United Kingdom by a European Union head of state since Brexit in 2020, had plenty of pomp and pageantry. But it also focused on policy and politics, which reflects a profound shift in the UK's circumstances since leaving the EU. During the upheaval of the Brexit psychodrama, there was little interest in constructive exchange, and the UK's relationship with Europe remained defined by its lurching departure from the bloc. But nearly a decade on, Donald Trump is back in the White House and has launched a trade war on the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin has shredded the European security order. And Chinese President Xi Jinping has resorted to threats of economic coercion – a striking reversal from the 'golden era' of UK-China relations proclaimed in 2015. Even more dramatic, perhaps, are the changes in the EU. The big policy initiatives launched during Macron's UK visit reflect the forces that are turning the bloc on its head. First, the EU is moving from a peace project to a war union. For most of its existence, the EU sought peace through economic integration. But Putin's war of Ukraine in 2022 reoriented the bloc towards security – a goal that has taken on greater urgency since Trump cast doubt on the United States' commitment to collective security on the continent. There is broad support for this new orientation. According to a recent opinion poll conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations, many Europeans favour increased defence spending, conscription and the development of a European or national nuclear deterrent. Against this backdrop, Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took a bold first step towards establishing an independent nuclear deterrent with the Northwood Declaration, in which they agreed that 'there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by our two nations.' A second major change is the development of 'securonomics.' The EU economy is under pressure from Trump's tariffs and China's export restrictions on magnets and critical minerals. EU policymakers now talk of de-risking, diversifying and deepening the single market, rather than pursuing free-trade agreements. While the UK has made it clear that it will not rejoin the single market or the customs union, the question is whether it can persuade the EU that it can be counted on to help the bloc achieve its new trade goals, or whether it will be given unfriendly treatment because it is seen as posing a risk to those objectives. Domestic politics in Europe has also undergone a rapid transformation. It has been fascinating to watch Macron – once a poster boy for liberal universalism – reinvent himself as a champion of secure borders and protectionism, while taking a tougher stance on crime. This volte-face has seen mainstream European politicians shift focus towards defending national sovereignty – from Russia, China, Trump, and migration – while they try to contain populist parties such as Marine Le Pen's National Rally and Alternative für Deutschland. That is the backdrop for the ground-breaking deal that Starmer and Macron signed on migration returns. Starmer's approach to Europe is a marked improvement from that of former Conservative prime ministers Boris Johnson (who compared the EU to Napoleon and Hitler) and Liz Truss (who questioned whether Macron was a friend or a foe). Starmer has proved himself, particularly with his deft diplomacy on Ukraine, to be a reliable partner and stakeholder, regaining the trust of EU institutions and member states. One senior German policymaker told me how impressed he was by the UK filling the leadership vacuum created by Trump's disregard for Ukraine. In other words, the UK is widely seen in Europe as being 'part of the team' again. The EU-UK summit in May provided a clear framework for deepening the relationship, not least through a Security and Defence Partnership that paves the way for British participation in European defence programmes. But the UK government has remained far too cautious in other areas. Most notably, Starmer has been careful not to cross the Labour Party's self-imposed red lines: no freedom of movement, no customs union and no single market. Future historians may well wonder why Starmer did not aim higher. The changing international environment offers Starmer a clear opportunity to redraw Europe's political map, which would establish him as one of Britain's most consequential leaders. But to do so, Starmer must convince British voters that today's Europe is a different creature from the one they imagine: a defence community that is more focused on safeguarding the continent than on transcending the nation-state. And he must explain how the UK can help build this new European security order, so long as it banishes the Brexit mindset. As a post-liberal Europe emerges, Britain must stop clinging to the past and seize the chance to shape the continent's future in a way that advances its interests. That requires acknowledging that both the EU and the UK have entered a new era. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2025
Observer
an hour ago
- Observer
Trump to send weapons to Ukraine
KYIV/WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on Monday, and threatened to hit buyers of Russian exports with sanctions unless Russia agrees a peace deal in 50 days, a major shift in policy brought on by disappointment with Moscow. Sitting side-by-side with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that he was disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin. Billions of dollars in weapons would be distributed to Ukraine, he said. "We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to NATO," Trump said, adding that Washington's NATO allies would pay for the weapons. The weapons would include Patriot air defence missiles which Ukraine has urgently sought to defend its cities from Russian air strikes. "It's a full complement with the batteries," Trump said when asked whether he would send Patriot missiles specifically. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days... a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have." "We're going to be doing secondary tariffs. If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple, and they'll be at 100 per cent," Trump said. Trump's moves underline his growing disenchantment with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the lack of progress in U.S.-led efforts to secure a ceasefire in Russia's more than three-year-old war in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky Zelenskiy, who has been seeking air defence systems to fend off Russian airstrikes, said he had discussed "the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer" at talks with Trump's special envoy on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg. "This includes strengthening Ukraine's air defence, joint production and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe," Zelenskiy wrote on X after their talks in Kyiv. A White House official said Trump was referring to 100 per cent tariffs on Russian exports as well as so-called secondary sanctions, which target third countries that buy a country's exports. Such secondary sanctions are widely seen as likely to have a far more severe impact on Russia's economy than measures that have been imposed previously, which have allowed Russia to continue selling oil to buyers such as China and India, earning hundreds of billions of dollars. Kellogg's visit — more than three years into the Kremlin's attack — comes as Russian forces killed three civilians in eastern Ukraine and launched dozens of long-range drones at targets across the country. The envoy arrived in Kyiv just one day after US President Donald Trump announced new Patriot air defence systems supplies to Ukraine, in a U-turn that has underscored concerns in Kyiv over the consistency of American support. — Agencies
