In Brussels, the air was thick with urgency as European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas addressed a roomful of diplomats, journalists, and policymakers. The date was March 17, 2026, and the stakes could hardly be higher. The EU’s twentieth package of sanctions against Russia—meant to tighten the screws on Moscow for its ongoing war in Ukraine—remained stalled, with member states unable to reach consensus. "The adoption of the 20th sanctions package is long overdue," Kallas declared, frustration evident in her tone, according to TASS and multiple other outlets. The delay, she added, was mirrored by the holdup on a €90 billion loan intended to keep Ukraine’s government afloat amid relentless Russian attacks.
The deadlock in Brussels was more than just bureaucratic gridlock—it was a symptom of deeper anxieties gripping Europe. As Kallas emphasized after the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on March 16, “Ukraine remains a European top security priority and attention for Ukraine will not be allowed to fizzle out.” Her words, reported by the EU NEIGHBOURS east program, resonated across the continent, where leaders are grappling with the reality that the war’s fallout is not confined to Ukraine’s borders.
Kallas pointed to a new and worrying trend: the same drones that batter Kyiv have also been spotted targeting Gulf states. This, she explained, has prompted the EU to discuss joint efforts with Middle Eastern partners to strengthen drone defenses, blending the needs of Ukraine with those of the Gulf region and the European defense industry. The war, she warned, is spilling over into neighboring countries, with Russia benefiting from higher energy prices and redeploying air defenses from Ukraine to the Middle East. As if to underscore the point, she cited a recent Russian strike on a Ukrainian hydro power plant that threatened to contaminate Moldova’s water supply. The EU, she said, is responding by providing Moldova with equipment aid and satellite imagery.
Despite the United States’ recent decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil, Kallas was adamant that Europe would not follow suit. “If we want this war to end, Moscow must have less money for the war, not more,” she insisted, signaling a clear divergence in strategy between Washington and Brussels. She also highlighted the renewal of sanctions on over 2,600 individuals accused of undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty, an effort to keep the pressure on those seen as complicit in the ongoing aggression.
Yet the EU’s resolve is being tested not just by external threats, but also by shifting global alliances. In a candid interview with Reuters on March 17, Kallas reflected on the bloc’s relationship with the United States, one year after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. “Of course, we are allies with America, but we don’t really understand their moves recently,” she admitted. “I think it is pretty clear after this one year that the word that we have to take into account is unpredictability. So we are now more calm because we are expecting the unpredictable things to happen all the time, and take it as it is, put some ice in our hats and be calm and stay focused.”
This new era of uncertainty has forced the EU to become more self-reliant, especially in the realm of information security. At the 2026 Conference on Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Kallas delivered a keynote speech that painted a stark picture of the challenges facing European democracies. She described how the information space—once a bastion of open debate—has become a battleground where truth is constantly under siege. “As the information space has evolved, truth is vanishing,” Kallas warned. She cited the example of Romania’s 2024 elections, where a Russia-backed disinformation campaign used thousands of AI-powered bot accounts and paid influencers to artificially boost a pro-Russian candidate. Without Romania’s constitutional checks and balances, Kallas argued, the outcome could have been very different.
Artificial intelligence, she noted, has turbocharged the ability of hostile actors to create fake videos, images, and narratives at a scale and speed never seen before. Russia and China, she said, invested up to €11 billion last year alone in such activities, while the global economic impact of disinformation is estimated at over €400 billion annually. “Information manipulation is one of the most cost-effective tools of modern hybrid warfare,” Kallas said, urging for tougher sanctions and coordinated cyber investigations into cryptocurrency-fueled interference campaigns.
The EU, she explained, has developed a multi-pronged response: regulatory frameworks like the Digital Services Act, a Code of Conduct on Disinformation, and cross-border cooperation networks such as the Rapid Alert System and the European Cooperation Network on Elections. Still, she acknowledged that much more needs to be done. Social media giants, often controlled by American or Chinese interests, remain a weak link. “We have to muster the political courage to actually use our regulations and the tools we have developed to counter threats in our democracies,” she said, calling for the full enforcement of existing rules and the development of new ones where necessary.
Kallas also highlighted the EU’s commitment to supporting vulnerable neighbors. Following a request from Armenia, the EU will deploy a Hybrid Rapid Response Team in April 2026 to help counter interference ahead of Armenia’s June elections. Similar support was provided to Moldova, where coordinated efforts—including new laws, intelligence sharing, and a massive communication campaign—helped blunt Russian attempts at election meddling. “Supporting democratic resilience in our neighbourhood remains essential. We will not leave Armenia to face foreign interference alone. Democracies under pressure can count on Europe,” she promised.
During her busy week in Brussels, Kallas also met with Denis Bećirović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of his working visit to NATO and the European Union. The duo discussed regional security and the importance of EU enlargement, with Bećirović having also met with European Council President Antonio Costa and NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska. Ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council, meanwhile, turned their attention to democratic backsliding in Georgia, another sign that the EU’s neighborhood remains a volatile and contested space.
In her closing remarks at the conference, Kallas struck a note of cautious optimism. “The infrastructure our adversaries use is built like a house of cards. Our 2026 report outlines this well. We know who is behind the meddling, how they operate, whom they target, and what their vulnerabilities are. By taking a more assertive approach, online and offline, we can blow the house down.” She called for a global coalition to protect the integrity of the information space, warning that every national election is now a potential target of interference. “2026 could be a perfect storm in Europe. We must all stay on top of this fight. So get out there and spread the truth.”
As Europe faces mounting challenges both from within and without, Kaja Kallas’s message is clear: resilience, vigilance, and unity will be crucial in defending democracy against the twin threats of military aggression and information warfare.