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EU Agree to Reinforce Defence Agency, Says Kallas
(MENAFN) European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced Tuesday that EU member states have reached an agreement to significantly reinforce the European Defence Agency (EDA), as bloc officials gathered in Brussels for a high-level defense ministers summit.
"Ministers today agreed to strengthen the EDA with the dedicated structures for innovation and experimentation. Work will continue to strengthen the agency even further, also on joint procurement," Kallas said at a post-meeting news conference, adding that defense innovation must be elevated to a front-rank political priority.
Kallas also turned her attention to mounting tensions around one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, issuing a stark warning about the consequences of any closure.
"The Strait of Hormuz is caught in a gray zone between war and peace. We support all diplomatic initiatives to have a way out and prevent further escalation. Closure of the world's most important shipping lane is untenable," Kallas noted.
She underscored the strategic importance of regional EU naval operations in restoring energy and trade flows, pointing to Operation Aspides — the bloc's existing mission countering Houthi attacks in the Red Sea — as a model that could be extended to the Strait of Hormuz through an amendment to its operational mandate.
On the eastern flank, Kallas delivered her sharpest remarks yet regarding Moscow's long-term ambitions, placing the onus squarely on Europe to maintain credible deterrence.
"Russia is gearing up for long-term confrontation with the West," she said. "Whether (Russian President Vladimir) Putin dares to test European defenses is really dependent on us. Deterrence works if it is credible; showing weakness only invites aggression."
Kallas closed with a direct appeal to EU governments to accelerate defense spending, warning that the bloc's defense industrial base remains far from full capacity. She called for faster arms production paired with more affordable and expedited delivery timelines to plug critical capability gaps across member states.
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