EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday called on the US to align with the bloc's sanctions policy against Russia, saying coordinated pressure from Washington and European partners could help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, Kallas said efforts to pressure Moscow would be more effective if the US joined the EU and UK in imposing further sanctions on Russia.
“It would work so much better if our partners from the UK and from the US would be aligned with us,” she said, adding that Washington's adoption of the Graham bill on Russia could significantly strengthen pressure on Moscow.
"We could really put the pressure so that Russia will finish this war," Kallas said.
She said sanctions had deprived Russia of €1 trillion ($1.1 trillion), adding that measures targeting the country's so-called shadow fleet were also making it increasingly difficult for Moscow to fund the war.
On US President Donald Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Kallas said the EU welcomed the arrangement but had yet to see whether Moscow would comply.
She stressed the ceasefire should extend beyond energy infrastructure to include an "end to the killing of people."
Kallas also questioned the scope of the arrangement, noting that Ukraine had one refinery while Russia had several, and said the ceasefire should not benefit Moscow.
On Trump's call for new elections in Ukraine, she recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had indicated his readiness to hold elections as soon as possible if a ceasefire were established.
Turning to developments in the Middle East, Kallas condemned escalating Houthi attacks on airports.
She said EU ministers would discuss what further measures could be taken to address the situation in the Red Sea.
Kallas added that she had spoken with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud the previous day, during which the possibility of strengthening the EU's Operation Aspides was discussed.
She also said EU foreign ministers would discuss establishing a new mission in Lebanon, comprising civilian and military components.
She expressed hope that, if approved, the mission would be ready to begin operations on the ground within a few months.