Chaos in Middle East begins with Russia – Kallas

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stated this during a speech at the University of Zurich, Ukrinform's correspondent reports, citing the press service of the EU diplomatic service.

"Today, the chaos we see around us in the Middle East is a direct consequence of the erosion of international law. It started when Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, invaded its neighbour, with impunity and a good measure of cynicism," Kallas said.

This sent a signal to the entire world that "there is no accountability for one's actions; that the rulebook has been thrown out the window."

She emphasized that without restoring international law together with accountability, "we are doomed to see repeated violations of the law, disruption and chaos."

"We in Europe have an existential threat on our doorstep. Russia's military campaign began with Georgia in 2008, then Crimea in 2014, Syria as a testing ground in 2015, followed by a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But the Donbas is not Russia's endgame," she stressed.

Kallas recalled that Europe is already repelling Russian cyberattacks targeting the economy, Russian sabotage at underwater infrastructure facilities, and attempts by Russia to break European alliances and undermine social cohesion. In addition, Russia uses oil and gas as weapons, "engages in military intimidation and even brandishing its nuclear arsenal."

"Make no mistake: Russia is not the emerging superpower it was 80 years ago, when the post-war global order was defined. Russia's economy is in shreds, disconnected from Europe's energy markets. And after more than a decade of conflict, including 4 years of full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia has barely advanced beyond the 2014 lines, at a cost of 1.2 million casualties. This is the very opposite of blitzkrieg," she said.

At the same time, she acknowledged that Russia will remain the main threat to the world order because it is "executing the most outrageous breaches of international law in United Nations history. And doing so with impunity."

Another reason Russia should be regarded as the main threat is that it "has turned its back on its international duty as a Permanent Member of UN Security Council and primary guarantor of the United Nations and its credibility."

In addition, Kallas concluded, Russia backs all this with the world's largest nuclear arsenal.

As Ukrinform reported, Kallas believes that since Ukraine has offered to help Persian Gulf countries defend against Iranian strikes, they should also actively support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

Photo: Kaja Kallas / X