EU defense ministers agree on urgent need to strengthen bloc’s defense

(MENAFN) EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday emphasized that all member states agree on the urgent need to strengthen the bloc’s defenses in light of Russia’s “unlikely” commitment to honoring agreements for long. Speaking after discussions with European defense ministers, Kallas said, “Everyone agreed that Europe must continue to boost its own defences. We do not have much time to act. Putin is unlikely to honour any agreement for long.”

Kallas highlighted that the EU and its member states have already provided over €187 billion ($217 billion) in support to Ukraine. She stressed that reinforcing European military capabilities would not only bolster Kyiv on the battlefield but also strengthen its position at the negotiating table.

Addressing Belgium’s concerns regarding a proposed reparations loan based on Russia’s frozen sovereign assets, Kallas defended the plan as the most viable mechanism for ensuring Russia compensates Ukraine for the damages it caused. “This is clear that Russia owes reparations for the damages that they have caused to Ukraine, and the reparations loan based on the frozen sovereign assets of Russia is actually the right basis for it,” she said.

Kallas also warned against international pressure that could push Ukraine into making concessions, arguing that such a scenario would reward Russian aggression. She noted that encouraging Ukraine to surrender would undermine global security and violate the principles of the UN Charter, warning that it could set a dangerous precedent whereby “whoever has the power gets to take what they want.”

Finally, Kallas addressed emerging hybrid threats from Belarus, citing reports from Lithuania of meteorological balloons crossing Belarusian territory. She indicated that the EU is actively assessing further measures to respond to these activities.

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