NEW YORK — European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas stated that Russia is attempting to intimidate Europe into reducing its defense efforts in the region, which she believes would lead to increased aggression from Moscow. Kallas expressed these views in an interview with Fox News Digital during the U.N. General Assembly, stating, "Their goal is to intimidate us from not supporting Ukraine, from refraining to support them and pressuring Russia." She emphasized the importance of not succumbing to fear, as this could encourage further intimidation globally.
Kallas' perspective is informed by her personal history, as her mother, Kristi, was deported to Siberia during Stalin’s mass deportations in 1949. Kallas described how her mother was transported in a cattle car, with fellow deportees helping to care for her as an infant during the harsh journey. After spending nearly a decade in Siberia, the family returned to Soviet-occupied Estonia in 1959. Kallas was born in Tallinn in 1977 and lived under Soviet rule until Estonia regained independence in 1991.
Her family became prominent in Estonia's democratic transition, with her father, Siim Kallas, serving in various governmental roles, including as the first president of the Bank of Estonia. Kaja Kallas transitioned from a legal career to politics, serving in Estonia’s parliament and the European Parliament before becoming Estonia’s first female prime minister in 2021 and later the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
Kallas has emerged as a significant voice regarding Russia's actions, despite some officials in Estonia and other Baltic states cautioning against interpreting Russia's provocations as preparations for a conventional invasion. She noted that Russia has been increasing its acts of sabotage in Europe, stating, "But of course how far they will go depends very much on us and whether we are investing enough in defense so that it acts as a deterrent."
The discussion comes as NATO countries face a series of Russian aircraft and drone incursions, alongside suspected sabotage activities across Europe. Some European capitals have raised alarms about Moscow probing for weaknesses in the alliance, while officials closer to Russia advise against equating these provocations with invasion preparations.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, in a separate interview, indicated that his country's intelligence services do not see evidence of Russia preparing for a full-scale attack on NATO. He remarked, "We have more and more this kind of panic in Europe that Russia will invade... but we don’t see it. Our intelligence... we don’t see any change."
Kallas, however, maintained that Russia's actions are aimed at undermining Western support for Ukraine. She reiterated that Moscow's intimidation tactics are designed to dissuade support for Ukraine and pressure the West. Kallas criticized Russia's lack of genuine commitment to negotiations, stating, "They should start with stopping bombing the civilians," and emphasized the need for coordinated pressure from the U.S. and European allies to influence Moscow's approach to negotiations.