Foreign Affairs Council: Press remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas upon arrival
European External Action Service (EEAS)
20.10.2025
Luxembourg, 20/10/2025
EEAS Press Team
Check against delivery!
Good to be in Luxembourg.
Today we have a Foreign Affairs Council, and then afterwards we have a big ministerial coming up with our partners from Central Asia and South Caucasus.
But first on the FAC. Of course, we first talk about Ukraine.
We see President Trump's efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. Of course, all these efforts are welcomed, but we do not see Russia really wanting peace. Russia only understands strength and only negotiates when it is really put to negotiate. So, right now, we do not see it yet.
That is why we are discussing what more we can do. We are expecting this week, also, to adopt a 19th package of sanctions. Unfortunately, not today, but we have also a leaders' meeting coming up on Thursday.
And then, what more we can do, also regarding the shadow fleet. We are discussing with the Member States how to better coordinate our actions regarding the shadow fleet.
Then, of course, the Middle East.
The ceasefire held its first stress test. I think this is a good first phase. But of course, we need to work on what more we can do to have a sustainable peace in the Middle East. There is a lot to do in order to get the humanitarian aid in, and also that the ceasefire would last. So, we will discuss with the Member States what we can do in this regard.
And then we have the Indo-Pacific.
As you know, we have in November the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum coming up. We are really reaching out to our Indo-Pacific partners, especially considering how China has now weaponised the supply chains. And this weaponising of the supply chains is a risk to global trade.
So, we will discuss this also today.
Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/media/video/I-278726
Q&A.
Q. Don't you think it is kind of a slap in the face that Trump is going to meet in Budapest with Putin, but there is no Europeans there?
Well, my wish would have been that it is President Zelenskyy who meets Putin, because it is actually them who have to agree on this. As I said, they are meeting, but let's see what is coming out of that meeting. I think it is important that President Zelensky also meets Putin, and they can discuss actually what they can do. If America has a lot of strength to pressure Russia to come to the negotiation table, if they use that, then, of course, this is good if Russia stops this war.
Q. Do you think it's right that a wanted war criminal comes to the EU? Secondly, how's your working relationship with President von der Leyen and how do you think that'll be affected if you hire Martin Selmayr as an advisor?
Regarding Budapest, no, it is not nice. To see that really a person, with an arrest warrant put by the ICC, is coming to a European country. And again, the question is whether there is any outcome out of this. This is what we need to see, how these things are going in Budapest, as we have been very firm that Russia only negotiates when they are put on pressure. So, we also hope that President Trump does that.
Q. Vladimir Putin will be the first person who's been indicted by the ICC to come to the European Union. There's also been Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. You put sanctions on the table against members of the Israeli government and broader trade measures. Should those stay in place, will you commit to advancing them, or do you think it's the right time to shelve them, given the developments of the last week?
Of course, the situation has changed, considering the developments last week, but we will discuss today with the Foreign Ministers. These measures are on the table, and the question is, what also Foreign Ministers decide to do with them. So, at the press conference I will have more to tell you.
Q. Frozen assets from Russia. What is needed now so that they will be used? And do you expect a breakthrough this week?
Yes, we have proposed the Reparations Loan to really move on with this. We have made great progress, but we are not there yet. Hopefully by the end of this week, when also leaders meet, we can report more back to it so that we can move on.
What's needed to get there?
Usually it is that all the Member States need to agree, and this is the main issue. So, for Member States, what are the issues for them to block or not to agree yet. You have to ask them. Basically, we're working on the solidarity measures for Belgium, for example, and these steps.
Q. There's a new Financial Times story saying that Trump urged Zelensky on Friday to accept Putin's terms or be destroyed by Russia, and that Donald Trump also spoke of a special military operation, basically Putin's rhetoric. What do you say to that?
Ukrainians are very resilient. They are fighting for their freedom, their independence, their country, so they cannot just surrender. And I think for the international order it is also negative if the aggressor gets what it wants, because that gives a signal to all the aggressors in the world that you can just go and take what you wish for.
Q. What do you think the EU can actually deliver today and on the summit in terms of sanctions? What do you think can actually be delivered in the coming days?
Like I said, I hope to reach an agreement on the 19th sanctions package this week when the leaders meet. We also are doing the coordination regarding the shadow fleet, because we see that there is a lot of revenues coming from the shadow fleet, and we have really made efforts regarding curbing the revenues from the shadow fleet. We have made a lot of progress if we see how it is really working on Russia. So, we should think about it more, to be more creative in this regard, because they are also creative in bypassing those things. So, we need to think all the time, what more we can do.
Q. Is that strategic silence on your relationship with President von der Leyen and the potential for the return of Martin Selmayr?
My relationship with President von der Leyen is very good. So, if you are referring to the competition that we have ongoing for the Deputy Secretary-General for the European External Action Service, then my aim has always been that Europe is a geopolitical power. In order to be a geopolitical power, we are only there if we are united by Member States. So, this Deputy Secretary-General is to coordinate the Member States and COREPER to come to unified positions. We need a strong person. This is ongoing and it is to make Europe stronger, which is to the benefit of us all.
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