The European Union is preparing to escalate its response to Iran’s increasingly volatile situation, with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, signaling readiness to impose further sanctions targeting the regime. The move comes amid escalating demonstrations within Iran, described by Kallas as the largest seen in years and a marked intensification of the government’s response.
Kallas, in an interview with “Welt” emphasized the EU’s existing sanctions regime – already extensive and impacting individuals and entities implicated in human rights abuses, nuclear program expansion and Iran’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. However, she underscored the necessity for additional measures in light of the “brutal suppression” of protesters, characterizing the violence against peaceful demonstrators as “unacceptable”. The demonstrations, fueled by a desire for self-determination, represent a significant challenge to the established order, prompting a forceful crackdown from security forces.
Beyond the immediate crisis in Iran, Kallas introduced a provocative geopolitical angle, linking the recent resurgence of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims regarding U.S. territorial rights over Greenland to growing security concerns in the Arctic. Dismissing Trump’s rationale of countering Russian and Chinese influence, Kallas highlighted Greenland’s strategic importance – including its proximity to critical underwater cables and the presence of valuable rare earth minerals beneath its ice sheet. She suggested a potential NATO role in guaranteeing Greenland’s security, stating the island “belongs to its citizens” as a direct response to perceived external threats. This proposal is expected to trigger discussions among the United States, Denmark and Greenland, with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio already scheduling a meeting with Danish representatives this week.
Reflecting a sober assessment of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Kallas cast doubt on the prospect of swift resolution. She warned that the conflict’s continuation is likely, explaining that a desire for peace must be shared by both sides, while only one party needs to actively pursue war. “Russia has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to perpetrate further conflict” she said, emphasizing the need for sustained pressure on Moscow. This pressure, she argued, necessitates further sanctions targeting the Russian energy and banking sectors, alongside measures aimed at disrupting the country’s shadow fleet. The EU’s current strategy, she implied, must evolve to actively force Russia towards a desire for peace, or risk a protracted and increasingly destabilizing engagement.