EU’s Kaja Kallas: “Sanctions Are the Path to Peace — Russia Must Be Pressured, Not Rewarded”
#Russia #Sanctions #TrumpPutinMeeting
At the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 20 October 2025, EU High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas outlined a firm European line on sanctions and peace efforts in Ukraine, underscoring that “Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim.”
Kallas confirmed that EU foreign ministers are finalizing a major new sanctions package against Moscow — the first since 2019 — aimed at tightening financial restrictions, targeting Russia’s “Shadow Fleet”, and mobilizing frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s defense and energy security. “Every euro we deny Russia is one it can’t use on war,” she declared.
The new package will expand measures against entities circumventing sanctions through third countries and include stronger powers to board and inspect vessels suspected of illicit oil transport. Kallas announced the appointment of a special EU coordinator to unify member state action against the Shadow Fleet, calling for “a more robust, EU-wide approach to cut Russian war funds.”
She reiterated Europe’s commitment to international accountability, announcing that 25 member states have joined the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression — an initiative backed by €10 million in EU funding and logistical support from The Hague. “Putin’s regime started this war and must face the consequences,” Kallas stated.
In a pointed exchange with reporters, Kallas rejected suggestions that Ukraine should concede territory to achieve peace, stressing that “wars end when one party runs out of money — that’s why we put sanctions in place.” She emphasized that territorial integrity remains a non-negotiable European value: “If aggression pays off, it serves as an invitation to use it elsewhere.”
Asked about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s diplomacy and his planned meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Kallas replied that while she welcomes Trump’s peace efforts, Russia’s willingness to negotiate will only emerge “when it thinks it’s losing.”
Kallas also urged EU states to heed Trump’s own call to stop buying Russian oil and gas, and to accelerate assistance to Ukraine’s defense industry and energy infrastructure following intensified Russian strikes on civilian power grids.
The EU’s top diplomat underlined that peace cannot be imposed at Ukraine’s expense: “We all want to end this war. Ukrainians want to end this war. The only side that doesn’t is Russia. Our course is clear — pressure must stay until Russia truly wants peace.”
00:00 – Opening: Trump’s Peace Push & EU’s Clear Course
00:16 – Major Sanctions Package, Frozen Assets & “Every Euro Denied”
02:05 – Energy Security Measures & Crackdown on Russia’s Shadow Fleet
03:19 – Accountability: Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression
04:00 – Q&A: Territorial Integrity, Shadow Fleet Details & Trump–Putin Context
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