Camilla Jessen
EU’s Kallas says Russia helped trigger global instability
Rising tensions in the Middle East are partly the result of weakening international rules, according to the European Union’s top diplomat. Speaking in Switzerland, Kaja Kallas said today’s global instability did not appear suddenly.
Instead, she argued that it developed over years as international law was ignored without consequences.
Blaming Russia
Kallas made the comments during a speech at the University of Zurich, according to Ukrinform and the EU diplomatic service.
“Today, the chaos we see around us in the Middle East is a direct consequence of the erosion of international law. It started when Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, invaded its neighbour, with impunity and a good measure of cynicism,” she said.
According to Kallas, this sent a message around the world that countries could act without being held accountable.
She said it created the belief that “there is no accountability for one’s actions; that the rulebook has been thrown out the window.”
Warning about law
Kallas said restoring international law and enforcing accountability is essential to prevent further crises.
Without those steps, she warned that similar violations and conflicts will continue to occur.
“Without restoring international law together with accountability, we are doomed to see repeated violations of the law, disruption and chaos,” she said.
The EU diplomat said Russia’s actions over the past two decades have played a major role in weakening global rules.
Pattern of conflicts
Kallas pointed to several military actions she believes show a pattern of aggression.
“We in Europe have an existential threat on our doorstep. Russia’s military campaign began with Georgia in 2008, then Crimea in 2014, Syria as a testing ground in 2015, followed by a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But the Donbas is not Russia’s endgame,” she said.
She also warned that Europe faces cyberattacks, sabotage of infrastructure and attempts to weaken alliances.
Despite this, Kallas said Russia is not as powerful as it once was.
“Make no mistake: Russia is not the emerging superpower it was 80 years ago,” she said, pointing to economic problems and heavy losses during the war in Ukraine.
Sources: Ukrinform, European External Action Service
