Remarks by HR/VP Kaja Kallas at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting – Plenary Session I: Geopolitical Tensions

Thank you dear Marco [Rubio] for gathering us here in Atlanta to discuss these important topics.

From Ukraine to the Middle East, conflicts are disrupting food supplies, energy markets and international trade. We have a collective responsibility to address these global consequences. The G20 remains an essential forum for international cooperation in this regard. 

We must preserve the G20’s effectiveness. In this spirit, I share the concerns expressed over South Africa’s absence. 

A world divided into spheres of influence can only undermine global cooperation. Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law is the foundation of lasting peace and security.  

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter. The EU will continue to support Ukraine and efforts towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to choose its own future. 

We support Ukraine’s call for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire. Only Russia is disagreeing to it. It is for Russia to demonstrate a genuine willingness to end its military aggression and engage in meaningful negotiations. 

Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian ports, agricultural infrastructure and civilian shipping have consequences far beyond Ukraine. The Black Sea has become a choke point. Global grain prices are at their highest since 2023. As a representative from the African Union also pointed out, Russia’s activities in the Black Sea make it harder to put food on people’s plates across the world. 

Food must never be used as a weapon. 

At the recent G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting, we agreed to condemn the weaponisation of food. We must now translate that commitment into action. 

At the UN General Assembly, 51 countries came together to condemn Russia and call for Black Sea passage.  

I call on G20 partners who have not already done so, to support a freedom of navigation arrangement in the Black Sea, protecting civilian shipping and critical infrastructure and safeguarding the uninterrupted flow of agricultural exports. Ukraine has accepted this, Russia has rejected it. I urge partners to use their diplomatic engagement with Russia to advance this proposal. 

The security of other critical waterways also matters for food production. Disruption to fertiliser trade through the Strait of Hormuz risks increasing agricultural production costs, with consequences for farmers and consumers worldwide. 

Food-importing countries, particularly in Africa, have a direct stake in keeping these routes open. The EU strongly supports these countries in ensuring reliable and affordable supplies. It is a shared interest around which we should act together. I count on G20 members to use their influence with the parties concerned to protect food supplies, facilitate humanitarian access and prevent further disruption to agricultural trade. 

Conflict and coercion are threatening waterways on which all our economies and populations depend. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab put energy security, trade and supply chains at risk. Tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait are also of concern to the European Union. 

International maritime routes are global lifelines. Attempts to alter the status quo through force or coercion, or unlawfully restrict access to key sea lanes, threaten stability and prosperity well beyond the regions concerned. We must uphold freedom of navigation in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS, and strengthen cooperation to protect commercial shipping and maritime security. 

I call on G20 partners to oppose unlawful restrictions and charges on international shipping. Over 60 countries have now signed our 'No Fees, No Tolls' pledge on maintaining the integrity of the International Law of the Sea. I urge others to do so, as well.  

Despite our differences, we must act where our interests converge: support a freedom of navigation arrangement in the Black Sea, uphold freedom of navigation more broadly and deliver on our commitment against the weaponisation of food. 

The EU stands ready to work with partners to take these proposals forward through concrete diplomatic follow-up. This is how the G20 can demonstrate its value in protecting global stability and prosperity to populations.