Kaya Kallas outlined three areas of the EU's response to Russian attacks in the Black Sea
The European Union must step up its efforts in three areas in response to Russian attacks in the Black Sea: ensure Ukrainian agricultural exports, strengthen maritime security, and increase international diplomatic pressure on Russia.
Kallas outlined three areas of a joint European response to the escalation of Russian attacks, which threaten Ukrainian export routes and global food security.
“Russia’s actions are making it harder to feed people around the world. And this requires a strong and united European response along three lines,” Kallas stated.
The first area is preserving Ukraine’s access to global markets and safeguarding global food security.
According to Kallas, the EU is working to ensure that Ukraine remains connected to global markets and that its agricultural exports have alternative routes.
“We are working to ensure that Ukraine remains connected to global markets and to safeguard food security. The EU-Ukraine ‘Solidarity Lanes’ initiative is helping to identify alternative routes, and since July, grain exports via the ‘Solidarity Lanes’ have increased by nearly 2 million metric tons,” Kallas said.
At the same time, Russia has begun attacking border crossings with Moldova, Romania, and Poland, threatening alternative export routes for Ukrainian products.
Kallas also reported that due to intensified Russian attacks on export routes, Ukraine has been losing 60 million euros in export revenue every day since mid-July.
The second priority is strengthening security in the Black Sea and on the Danube. To achieve this, Kallas emphasized, it is necessary to improve information sharing and promptly identify potential threats.
“Early detection and real-time information sharing are of key importance,” the EU High Representative stressed.
According to her, thanks to the MARSUR network, EU member states can exchange maritime surveillance data and improve their shared situational awareness at sea.
In addition, Romania and Bulgaria, with EU support, are establishing the Black Sea Maritime Security Center. It is intended to help European countries better monitor the situation in the region.
Kallas also stressed the need to develop capabilities to counter air and maritime threats. In this regard, the EU is promoting the joint development of defense capabilities and procurement, particularly within the framework of the drone coalition.
Another tool will be the Eastern Flank Watch initiative, designed to strengthen surveillance and defense on Europe’s eastern flank—from the Baltic to the Black Sea—in close coordination with NATO.
At the same time, through the European Defense Agency, EU countries are already collaborating on the development of next-generation maritime mine countermeasures and unmanned maritime systems.
The third area of focus is increasing international diplomatic pressure on Russia and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
Kallas recalled that on September 23 in New York, 51 countries and the European Union issued a joint statement condemning Russian aggression and calling for freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
The European Union continues to work with international partners to reach relevant agreements.
“We are currently working with international partners—Turkey, India, and others, including African countries for which food is of vital importance, and more broadly—with countries of the Global South—to secure an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea,” the EU’s top diplomat said.
Thus, the European response to Russian attacks involves supporting Ukrainian exports, strengthening maritime surveillance and defense capabilities, and expanding the international coalition to protect freedom of navigation.
This was stated by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, during a plenary debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, October 20.
In the Black Sea near Bulgaria and Romania, six merchant ships were attacked by drones over a 10-day period. At least 11 sailors were killed in the attacks, and crew members from several ships remain missing.
In October, drones attacked at least seven cargo ships in the Black Sea near Romania and Bulgaria. Two people were killed in these incidents, and at least 25 others are considered missing. The attacks took place in the exclusive economic zones of two NATO countries and pose a threat to a vital international shipping route.
