European External Action Service

Peace and security depend on more than responding to crises. They require long-term support for institutions, communities and security services. Through the Common Security and Defence Policy, the EU acts collectively to support crisis management, peacekeeping and international security. Across Africa, the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, 22 ongoing EU missions and operations work with partner countries through mandates tailored to their specific needs. Military missions and operations train armed forces, help create safe and secure environments, combat piracy and disrupt trafficking networks on land and at sea. Civilian missions strengthen border management, prevent conflict, tackle organised crime and smuggling, reform national security sectors and support justice and the rule of law.   By helping partners build greater stability and resilience, the EU also strengthens security closer to home. Supporting stability abroad, contributing to security at home. Reliable. And that’s the whole point. Read more about how we work for a stable world and a safer Europe: https://lnkd.in/eWvhvmSv

Peace, security and cooperation can feel like a given. They are not. They take dialogue, trust and diplomacy. By defending the EU, working for a secure neighbourhood and building strong global partnerships, the EU works every day to protect what matters to people.  Because the things we rely on today still need to be protected tomorrow. 

This week, HR/VP Kaja Kallas travelled to Manila, Philippines, to strengthen the EU’s partnership with ASEAN partners through a series of high-level meetings.   At the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting, discussions focused on regional security, including maritime security, freedom of navigation, critical undersea infrastructure, and emerging threats such as FIMI and online scam centres. The visit also marked an important step in EU–Philippines relations with the upgrading towards an Enhanced Partnership. Leaders agreed to deepen cooperation on foreign affairs, security issues and support for the rules-based international order. The HRVP announced a European Peace Facility assistance measure for the Philippine Armed Forces worth €15 million, the first ever to be implemented in the Indo-Pacific. The support will strengthen the country’s maritime capabilities through non-lethal surveillance and monitoring equipment. In the Philippines, the HR/VP also opened the inaugural Kyiv-Manila dialogue, underscoring common international efforts for peace, and participated in commemorations marking the 50th anniversary of ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. The EU has long been a trusted partner of ASEAN and our partnership is only growing stronger. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gA86zuq7

On 23 July, HR/VP Kaja Kallas represented the EU at the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Manila, Philippines. The ARF is the Indo-Pacific's broadest platform for security dialogue and discussions focused on regional and international developments. The meeting focused on regional and international developments, as well as ways to further strengthen the ASEAN Regional Forum. The HR/VP highlighted the importance of maritime security, including safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and protecting critical undersea infrastructure. She also addressed emerging threats such as disinformation and online scam centres, underlining the need for closer international cooperation. The EU is a long-standing and trusted partner of ASEAN. As global challenges evolve, the EU is committed to deepening this partnership.

The 21st package of sanctions is a major step to target the financial backbone of Russia's war machine. The latest package steps up pressure on Russia's war economy, from banks and drone production to energy revenues, sanctions evasion and other sources of income. 🔸We have listed the Moscow Stock Exchange and the deputy Governor of Russia's Central Bank. 🔸We have made it harder to use crypto to evade sanctions. Adding to previous listings and prohibition to engage with crypto actors in Russia, the EU adopts further designations on the cross-border A7 network and its expanding links to Africa. 🔸We are targeting Russia's long-range drone production. These designations linked to long-range drones, hitting their production and supply chain. In 2026, in seven rounds of sanctions, EU designated up to 500 individuals and entities. This means around 2.5 listings, every day. Together, these measures make it harder for Russia to finance and sustain its war against Ukraine. Sanctions have cost Russia 1 to 1.3 trillion euros. Read how the EU is dismantling Russia's war economy brick by brick: https://lnkd.in/gZVRy8zK

Young people should never be a target for recruitment. Yet in conflict affected regions, terrorist and violent extremist groups continue to prey on the most vulnerable.    That is why the EU partnered with the UNODC through STRIVE Juvenile, a three-year programme in Indonesia, Iraq and Nigeria that helps governments protect youth from recruitment and exploitation, always in full respect of human rights, gender equality and international law.   It is one of more than 100 projects the EU has funded over the past decade to address the root causes of violent extremism, because protecting children from terrorism takes coordinated, long term action, and no single country can do it alone.   Reliable. And that’s the whole point.   Read more about the importance of counter-terrorism in the EU’s external relations here: https://lnkd.in/eFNGzpT8

Ready for your diplomat era? If, like Yuri, you enjoy dressing for diplomatic life, the EEAS Blue Book Traineeship could be your next step. Gain hands-on experience in EU diplomacy and foreign affairs, meet people from across Europe and beyond, and experience life at the heart of EU diplomacy in Brussels. Applications open on 22 July and close on 28 August. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eF-BdQkM

One of the clearest signs that EU sanctions are having an impact is that efforts to evade them continue. From going dark, to changing identity, to transferring oil between tankers, the shadow fleet relies on tactics designed to conceal the origin of Russian oil. The EU tracks these activities through satellite imagery, ownership records, and port and insurance checks, helping identify vessels and networks involved in sanctions evasion. Russia's shadow fleet is built to hide. EU sanctions are there to expose it. Read more about EU sanctions against Russia here: https://lnkd.in/eyeSNUXJ

Prisoners of war are protected under the Geneva Conventions, but Ukrainian civilians detained by Russia fall outside that legal framework, with no established mechanism for their exchange or release. Around 16,000 civilians remain arbitrarily detained, many taken from temporarily occupied territories. Following a Joint Statement by HR/VP Kaja Kallas on behalf of the European Union and Ukraine, the EEAS and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights will intensify coordination with Ukraine, civil society, EU Member States and international partners to identify concrete action for detainees and their families, and to ensure accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. As Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk put it, "We must return the human dimension into all political processes. People must be first. Without the human dimension, we would never find a path to sustainable peace." "We should make sure that those in Russian detention are remembered and fought for, and their release is approached by our common efforts." - Maksym Butkevych, former prisoner of war and human rights activist. Read more about how the EU steps up coordination to strengthen international action for Ukrainian civilian detainees via the link: https://lnkd.in/gB4k-kwC

Today marks International Criminal Justice Day. The International Criminal Court remains the cornerstone of the international criminal justice system, delivering accountability for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and upholding the rights and dignity of victims. The European Union reaffirms its firm commitment to the Rome Statute, to its universality and integrity, and to its full and effective implementation. All states are called upon to cooperate fully with the Court. Violations of international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law, continue to cause immense suffering around the world. Accountability is what prevents future atrocities and what makes lasting peace possible. There can be no lasting peace without justice, and no justice without accountability and meaningful reparations for victims. Read the full statement by Kaja Kallas: https://lnkd.in/eBuRNbRq