Kaja Kallas

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs - Coordinating EU diplomatic and sanctions response

The G7 set Russian oil at $60 per barrel in December 2022—a novel attempt to starve the Kremlin of war funds without triggering a global energy crisis. Since late January 2026, the UK and EU have enforced a reduced cap of $44.10 using a new automatic mechanism that adjusts every 22 weeks to stay 15% below market prices; the United States has not joined this latest reduction.

Updated Feb 16

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs - Led the designation effort

For over two decades, the European Union resisted designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, wary of severing diplomatic ties with Tehran. On January 29, 2026, that resistance collapsed. All 27 EU foreign ministers voted unanimously to place the IRGC on the same legal footing as al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Islamic State—a designation that triggers automatic asset freezes and travel bans across the bloc. Within hours, the United Kingdom signaled it would follow suit with separate legislation targeting hostile state agencies.

Updated Jan 31

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - Signed Security and Defence Partnership with India

India and the European Union became strategic partners in 2004. Twenty-one years later, at the 16th EU-India Summit on January 27, 2026, they signed a Security and Defence Partnership that makes India the third Asian country—after Japan and South Korea—to gain formal access to European defence initiatives. The two sides also concluded negotiations on a historic free trade agreement covering 2 billion people and representing a combined market of $27 trillion. Once the FTA completes legal vetting and enters force in 2027, Indian firms will be able to participate in the EU's €150 billion SAFE rearmament programme.

Updated Jan 30