Informal meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers (GYMNICH): Press conference by High Representative Kaja Kallas
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Dear Helen,
Thank you for hosting us for the second day here with EU Foreign Ministers. We had very open and substantive discussions.
First, on Ukraine. We had friends from Ukraine, Canada, Iceland, Norway, the United Kingdom and Switzerland joining us. What this presence shows is that it is important that the EU and close partners tackle the security challenges together.
Moscow has not changed its war aims. Russian strikes on Kyiv again killed dozens in recent days. This makes it abundantly clear that Moscow does not want peace. Our immediate focus continues to be giving Ukraine what it needs to defend itself.
Through the Ukraine Support Loan, we have disbursed the first €8.47 billion. Another €6.1 billion has been approved, including for air defence. But this is not enough. Bilateral support is also needed, and we were pleased to hear today announcements by Member States to provide air defence that we have been so long asking for.
Stopping Russian missiles is about providing interceptors, but it is also about cutting off the supply chains and funding that allow Russia to build those missiles in the first place. We have our largest package of listings, up to 1,600 in the pipeline targeting Russia's military-industrial complex.
In parallel, we must forcefully crack down sanctions circumvention. Ukraine has identified more than 5,500 Western and Asian components in Russian weapons. After four years of war, this is inexcusable. Those components should not be there. Together with the Commission, we are working on the new proposals to tighten sanctions enforcement.
Some Ministers also raised again the use of immobilised Russian assets. The discussion will continue. Russia must pay for destruction it has caused.
In the Black Sea, Russian strikes on grain ships could cause another worldwide food security shock. We support Ukraine's grain exports through alternative transit routes. We are also looking to support storage inside Ukraine to protect global food security. But there is no substitute for the volumes that can [be] moved by sea. I support the initiatives for a moratorium on Black Sea attacks.
Ministers further discussed Ukraine's winter resilience. Four years in a row, Russia has tried to freeze Ukrainians into submission, but it has failed. Ukraine has kept its cities running by defending, repairing, and replacing its energy infrastructure. We need to prepare Kyiv for another hard winter. I thank those who have already pledged new support for Ukraine Energy Support Fund as we work to replenish Ukraine's reserve of spare parts and generators.
And finally, there was broad support to move with an EU visa entry ban for Russian ex-combatants and tougher visa restrictions for Russian tourists.
We also see an escalation of attacks near our borders, violations of our airspace, and clear threats on our territory. Leipzig attacks had hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism. What happened in Leipzig was not an isolated incident. Since 2022, we have seen systematic attacks across Europe. Sabotage, cyber-attacks, espionage are becoming more frequent and more brazen. The EU stands in full solidarity with Germany. We have summoned the Russian representative to the EU, and we are moving ahead with more sanctions. Attempts to intimidate Europe will fail.
Q&A
Q. One of the suspects, who may be behind the drone attack in Leipzig, apparently entered the European Union on an Italian tourist visa. So, I would like to know if you also have this information and if you think that the EU visa policy should be tightened on this background.
If it is true, and it is of course up to German authorities to confirm or deny this. But if it is true, it shows very clearly that visas are a tool of these people who are meaning harm to the European Union, to get into the European Union. Actually, today, also on the Ukraine discussion, many raised that we really need to curb the visas. It is not okay that the country is bombing Ukraine, killing civilians in July and August more than ever during this war, and at the same time Russians are entering and enjoying the hospitality of European countries. It should not work this way, and many Member States have flagged this before that actually these kinds of tourist visas are used for the sabotage acts because these people need to get into the European Union. So, if it is true, I hope that this also convinces certain Member States who have been against moving on the visa restrictions that this is actually our security that is in concern as well as Ukraine's.
Q. On the air defence for Ukraine, High Representative, you mentioned that there was some movement. Could you specify how many interceptors were pledged and by which countries? And then on the sanctions on the 1,600, I just wonder: is this from before already more or less agreed and in the pipeline, or is there something new added since the Leipzig incident? On the reform, there was a proposal by France and Germany. If I understand correctly, they actually wanted to change the setup. They said there is no agreement, no support for a change of the setup. So, does it mean that Germany and France were more or less alone with this idea?
First, on the air defence, the Member States who made the announcements will make the announcements also publicly. So, let them do that, and that comes to the numbers and all details. But it was important there for Ukraine also to hear that we have actual movement on the air defence. Then on the listings, it is in the pipeline. We are aiming for FAC that is happening in October, and actually today there was at least one Member State who said that they have additional proposals to the listings. So let us see what comes in the end, because we have to check everything. But it is rather moving.
On the reform, as there are two sides of the equation. One is that if there is idea to concentrate the services of external action actually in the Commission, so the other side of the equation has to be that the High Representative/Vice-President, actually oversees those services. One side of the equation cannot happen without the other. So, everybody agreed that the Vice-President/High Representative is the connection between the Member States and the Commission, and like the treaties say, but it has to be implemented. So, there was no support of concentrating everything in the Commission without actually having this role practically implemented, which is another issue. So, everybody supported the current - not everybody, the majority - supported the current institutional setup.
Q. Ukraine looks like it will need a lot of money over the coming winter. You have had now meetings with Defence Ministers and Foreign Ministers. So, just simply, where will the money come from? And then, secondly, on sanctions, we have talked about listings. But when it comes more broadly to Russian companies important in the Russian supply chain, still operating in Europe, we have Rusal, who have a Swedish facility, and as you know, a facility in Ireland. And what should the EU do about that?
The ideal answer to your question, where should the money come from, is that it should come from Russia, because they are causing this damage. That is why some of the Member States were proposing to go back to the discussion of the frozen assets. And we will continue that discussion.
When it comes to the Russian companies, and in addition to the listings, then also some Member States were pointing out that there is actually so much more we can do. Really, companies that are operating access to services that the Russians have that also helps them, but in the end, it is always the question whether there is appetite to agree by all the Member States. So right now, we are working with these 1,600 listings that are very specifically targeting the Russian military complex, so that they could not produce the missiles that are killing Ukrainians every day.