The European union will add nearly 1,600 listings targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex and individuals linked to elections in occupied Ukrainian territories, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday, as she called on the United States to increase pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Kallas said the bloc believed sanctions were an effective tool to curb Russia’s ability to finance its war and urged Washington to align its measures with those of European allies.
“We only see that pressure on Russia would work,” Kallas said, adding that Moscow had started the war and should be pressured to stop it.
The proposed listings target Russia’s military-industrial complex and what Kallas described as sham elections in occupied Ukrainian territories. The EU has continued to expand sanctions as part of its efforts to weaken Moscow’s capacity to sustain the conflict.
Kallas said EU sanctions has deprived Russia of 1 trillion euros, money she said was therefore unavailable to fund the war. Measures against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet are also making it harder for Moscow to finance its military campaign, she added.
While acknowledging that Russia is finding new ways to circumvent restrictions, Kallas said the EU is adapting its measures in response. She said the bloc has agreed on new listings at each of its last 10 Foreign Affairs Council meetings.The EU would be better placed to increase pressure on Moscow if the United States adopted a similar approach, Kallas said, urging Washington to enact the Graham Bill on Russia.
On calls by US President Donald Trump for fresh elections in Ukraine, Kallas said elections were generally not held during wartime under constitutional provisions and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated he would be ready to hold them as soon as possible if a ceasefire were reached.
“Elections are always fighting between different groups inside the country, while the attacks are coming from outside,” she said, adding that maintaining national unity was important while the war continued.
Kallas also voiced concern over the durability of an “energy ceasefire,” saying the EU has yet to see Russia adhere to it. She said any cessation of hostilities should extend beyond energy infrastructure to prevent further loss of life.
Protecting energy facilities was particularly important ahead of winter, she said, but stressed that a broader halt to the fighting would be needed to end the attacks.
On the Middle East, Kallas condemned escalating Houthi attacks on an airport and offered condolences to those who had lost their lives. She said the EU has been discussing ways to strengthen its naval Operation ASPIDES in coordination with an international force to keep the Bab el-Mandeb Strait open and ensure commercial shipping could move safely through the Red Sea.
Kallas said the bloc is also expected to decide on establishing a new mission in Lebanon with civilian and military components. She said the mission could be ready to operate on the ground within a few months if the decision is adopted. (
