EU's Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas Talks Ukraine/Russia War

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Talks

Episode: EU's Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas Talks Ukraine/Russia War
Date: July 7, 2026
Host: Bloomberg (Oliver Crook and Interviewer/Anchor)
Guest: Kaja Kallas (EU High Representative, Foreign Affairs)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Bloomberg sits down with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of a major NATO meeting in Ankara. The discussion centers on Europe’s evolving response to the Ukraine/Russia war, defense spending, sanctions, diplomatic engagement with Russia, transatlantic defense cooperation, EU-NATO relations, and European relations with Turkey and Greenland. The conversation provides real-time insights into European security, diplomatic strategy, and the ongoing struggle to maintain unity and resolve within the NATO alliance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NATO Defense Spending and Success Metrics

• Investment in Defense:
  Kallas highlights the progress NATO allies have made in increasing defense budgets, investing in innovation, and promoting joint work among member states.
  • Quote: "Success looks like the investments that the defense that the countries have made to the defence budgets, and that also translates into innovation and joint work." – Kaja Kallas [01:16]

2. Ukraine/Russia War: Battlefield and Sanctions

• Situation Update:
  While Ukraine is at a critical moment, Kallas notes a shift in battlefield momentum putting Russia under "severe pressure."
  • Quote: "We see that the Russians are really under severe pressure, both militarily, also economically." – Interviewer/Anchor [01:34]
• Sanctions Package & Diplomatic Pressure:
  EU is preparing its 21st sanctions package to further pressure Russia.
  • Quote: "Russia is weak and weaker than it has ever been before...but it is not in the place where they actually come to the negotiation table. So we still need to put more pressure..." – Kaja Kallas [01:57]
  • The next EU Foreign Affairs Council will push these measures forward.
  • More pressure is needed to bring Russia willingly to negotiations.

3. Diplomacy vs. Direct Negotiation

• Whose Role is It to Engage?
  • Kallas is firm: The conflict and negotiation need to be between Ukraine and Russia. The EU’s job is to strengthen Ukraine’s position—not to seek direct conversations with Russia.
    • Quote: "The most important is that Ukrainians talk to the Russians, Russians talk to the Ukrainians because the war is between them and it is about...what concerns really the two of them." – Kaja Kallas [02:50]
    • Quote: "What we can do on the side is to strengthen Ukrainian position...so that they would be stronger on the negotiation table." – Kaja Kallas [02:50]

4. Backfilling US Troop Reductions in Europe

• European Military Effort:
  Kallas acknowledges more needs to be done as the US reviews its European military presence but confirms there is no "vacuum" in deterrence.
  • Quote: "More needs to be done, that's very clear. But we are in constant contact with NATO...these things don't happen so that we leave a vacuum or a gap really behind." – Kaja Kallas [03:55]

5. Security Operations Beyond Europe

• Red Sea & Freedom of Navigation:
  The EU’s ongoing Operation AS Vetas ensures shipping safety. Kallas underscores EU support, readiness for escort missions, and opposition to any "tolls, no fees for the freedom of navigation."
  • Quote: "We are ready to...also step in to escort the ships where necessary. But right now the most important part is the negotiation negotiations... there should be no tolls, no fees for the freedom of navigation." – Kaja Kallas [04:29]

6. EU-NATO Relations: Duplication or Complementarity?

• Working Hand in Hand:
  Kallas addresses concerns over duplicating NATO efforts, stressing the complementary roles and extensive information sharing between the organizations.
  • Quote: "We work hand in hand with NATO...We tried to help them to fill the capability gaps that they have and the capability targets that they have from NATO." – Kaja Kallas [05:21]

7. EU-Turkey Relationship

• Broader Issues:
  Discussions with Turkey cover migration, connectivity, and ongoing concerns regarding rights, freedoms, and Cyprus.
  • Quote: "We have reached out and have discussions with Turkey on various issues...on the other side, we also have issues with their fundamental rights and freedoms and issues that we see...we have been very open about this." – Kaja Kallas [06:11]

8. Greenland and EU Solidarity

• US Comments on Greenland:
  In response to recent rhetoric from the US, Kallas affirms EU support for Denmark and Greenland’s right to self-determination.
  • Quote: "The European Union and all the member states are really, really committed and solid behind Denmark and behind the Greenlandic people who have the right to choose their own future." – Kaja Kallas [06:55]

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Memorable Quotes

• Innovation and Defense:
  "Success looks like the investments...and that also translates into innovation and joint work within the member states." – Kaja Kallas [01:16]

• Negotiation Table Reality:
  "Russia...is not in the place where they actually come to the negotiation table. So we still need to put more pressure on them..." – Kaja Kallas [01:57]

• On EU’s Role in Diplomacy:
  "What we can't be, we can't be the ones who are demanding that please talk to us. Because it's also Russia that needs to realize the things that they want. I mean lifting of sanctions, for example, depend on the European decision." – Kaja Kallas [02:50]

• No Security Gaps:
  "We are in constant contact with NATO...these things don't happen so that we leave a vacuum or a gap really behind." – Kaja Kallas [03:55]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:16 – Kallas describes success for NATO meetings and EU defense investments.
• 01:57 – Sanctions on Russia and the need for continued pressure.
• 02:50 – On who should lead diplomatic engagement with Russia.
• 03:55 – Discussion on US troop withdrawal and Europe's readiness.
• 04:29 – EU maritime missions and opposition to navigation fees.
• 05:21 – EU-NATO coordination and avoidance of duplication.
• 06:11 – Status of EU-Turkey relations and challenges.
• 06:55 – Affirmation of EU support for Greenland within Denmark.

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

Kaja Kallas delivers her insights with clarity, resolve, and a strong sense of European solidarity, while also making clear-eyed assessments of both progress and ongoing shortcomings. The conversation projects a tone of practical determination and strategic patience, emphasizing alliance unity, the centrality of Ukrainian agency, and a measured but firm approach to both partners and potential adversaries.

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This summary captures the major themes, nuanced discussions, and candid commentary from a pivotal episode addressing the EU’s diplomatic and security posture in a rapidly shifting global landscape.

Transcript

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[Kaia Kalas]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio news

[Oliver Crook]

well, Danny, NATO allies have signed defense deals worth at least $50 billion as Europe ramps up military spending. Joining us now from Ankara is Bloomberg chief Europe correspondent Oliver Crook with a very special guest, ALI.

[Interviewer/Anchor]

Yeah, that's right, Vonnie. Proceedings are underway here in Ankara, Turkey, where world leaders from the 32 NATO nations have descended to have those meetings. Of course, President Trump is also in attendance. We're very pleased to be jo by the EU's High Representative Kaia Kalas, who joins us here on the sidelines of the meeting and anchor. High Representative, thank you so much for joining us here. For you, this meeting that we're holding today, one year from that critical meeting we had, those 5% pledges, what does success look like here over the next two days?

[Kaia Kalas]

Well, of course, success looks like the investments that the defense that the countries have made to the defence budgets, and that also translates into innovation and joint work with within the member states. So I think we have come a

[Interviewer/Anchor]

long way, actually, and thinking about Ukraine, as we always do when we talk, and we always feel like we're at a critical moment from Ukraine, but really we feel that there has been a sort of change of momentum on the battlefield. We see that the Russians are really under severe pressure, both militarily, also economically. What are the next steps now required from the European Union to take advantage of that? And particularly thinking about the sanctions, sanctions package, the 21st. When do you think that will be ready?

[Kaia Kalas]

Well, we are working on that and we have the fac so next Foreign Affairs Council coming up Monday. Hopefully we'll get at some of the past there. Why? Why is it important? Because we see, although you say that Russia is weak and weaker than it has ever been before, it is not in the place where they actually come to the negotiation table. So we still need to put more pressure on them so that they would realize that they have to end this war. They have to talk to the Ukrainians to, to stop it.

[Interviewer/Anchor]

And I know generally where you sort of stand on this debate, but there's been a rising debate over the last couple of months about engaging diplomatically with the Russians. We that Antonio Kostia's team has reached out to them. Do you think that is appropriate measure now to start thinking about. And I know that the answer is that the Russians generally don't seem like they want to negotiate. But how do we know if we do not on the European side have any contact?

[Kaia Kalas]

No, I think the most important is that Ukrainians talk to the Russians, Russians talk to the Ukrainians because the war is between them and it is about, you know, what, what concerns really the two of them. What we can do on the side is to strengthen Ukrainian position because we have been on their from the start so that they would be stronger on the negotiation table really. And there are some issues that concern also us now, what we can't be, we can't be the ones who are demanding that please talk to us. Because it's also Russia that needs to realize the things that they want. I mean lifting of sanctions, for example, depend on the Ukraine, the European decision.

[Interviewer/Anchor]

And also thinking about the Europeans and also being able to backfill the troop movements. That we've heard from the United States, we've been hearing obviously that the United States is going to withdraw some troops. We heard from Pete, he's going to do another review over the next six months. Are you satisfied with the European efforts to try to backfill that? Do you feel that there is that safety net there, Is that appropriate or is there more that needs to be done there on the European side?

[Kaia Kalas]

More needs to be done, that's very clear. But we are in constant contact with NATO's that all these things don't happen so that we leave a vacuum or a gap really behind. So, so there are troop movements inside Europe, but it doesn't affect the overall capability, cap of defence and deterrence.

[Interviewer/Anchor]

And of course Trump has linked a number of things also to the activity in Hormuz. There has been discussions periodically about a European role there. Do you see that conversation evolving and moving forward? Are we still at sort of where we've been over the last couple of months with that UK sort of French led effort?

[Kaia Kalas]

We have Operation AS Vetas that is currently working in the, in the Red Sea that is also important for the freedom of navigation. And we are ready to, you know, also step in to escort the ships where necessary. But right now the most important part is the negotiation negotiations, the 60 days and there are, you know, message to the negotiation negotiators is that there should be no tolls, no fees for the freedom of navigation.

[Interviewer/Anchor]

And also thinking about these sort of respective roles of the European Union and NATO. There's been some critique in the past of the EU of duplicating efforts of NATO. We now have this big industry event here being held around NATO, which is traditionally a sort of European Euro. Do you think that there is a bit of duplication happening? Do you think that is now being reversed in the other way? And do the lines, do you think, need to a little bit clearer in order to get sort of more effective outcomes on both ends?

[Kaia Kalas]

We work hand in hand with NATO's really, I mean, because majority of member states in NATO are also the majority of member states in European Union. So we tried to help them to fill the capability gaps that they have and the capability targets that they have from NATO. And we are exchanging information and trying to make it as easy as possible to also give our funding tools to help our member states to actually fulfill their obligations, negotiations in nature.

[Interviewer/Anchor]

And also want to think about more broadly the relationship between the European Union and Turkey, who's obviously been a candidate country for a very, very long time. There have been obviously frictions throughout the past. Of course, now Turkey is very much in a very prominent role in terms of its military contribution and there's less criticism. What do you think this relationship looks like going forward? Do you think it needs to draw closer in the years to come?

[Kaia Kalas]

We have reached out and have discussions with Turkey, with Turkey on various issues. When it comes to migration, it comes to also connectivity. And of course on the other side, we also have issues with their fundamental rights and freedoms and issues that we see also here that we don't really want to see in a candidate country. And we have been very open about this. And also the Cyprus issue that hopefully also the United Nations Secretary General is really pushing forward to have a solution there.

[Interviewer/Anchor]

And we also heard from the President of the United States. He's brought up again, brought up the issue of Greenland. Is that something that sort of concerns or do you think that we can sort of move past that?

[Kaia Kalas]

I think we should look past the rhetorics. I think it is clear that the European Union and all the member states are really, really committed and solid behind Denmark and behind the Greenlandic people who have the right to choose their own future high representative.

[Interviewer/Anchor]

Thank you so much for your time. That's Kayakalis, the top diplomat from the European Union here at the sidelines of the NATO meeting with all of the issues, including Ukraine, front and center here for leaders.

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