High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (2024–present)
On 28 June 2024, Kallas was nominated to become High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. A confirmatory vote by the European Parliament took place in November. She formally resigned as prime minister on 15 July, but remained in office until the creation of a new government on 22 July. She also became Vice-President of the European Commission. In November 2024, she stated that the People's Republic of China must pay a "higher cost" for its support to Russia, referring to China's position on Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On 1 December 2024, her first day in office as High Representative, Kallas visited Ukraine along with European Council President Antonio Costa and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos. Kallas expressed strong support for a Ukrainian victory, stating that "the European Union wants Ukraine to win this war". The trip was criticized by Slovak prime minister Robert Fico, who stated, without further elaboration, that Kallas and Costa had made statements that had not been agreed upon by EU bodies.
On her first day in office, Kallas also warned the Georgian government not to use violence to suppress the ongoing protests against the ruling party's decision to postpone EU accession talks, threatening possible sanctions.
On 11 February 2025, Kallas condemned China in relation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying that "Without China's support, Russia would not be able to continue its military aggression with the same force." She also added "China is the largest provider of dual-use goods and sensitive items that sustain Russia's military-industrial base and that are found on the battlefield in Ukraine."
On 13 February 2025, she criticized a call between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin as an "appeasement" towards Russia. On 20 February 2025, Kallas expressed doubts about Donald Trump's attempts to negotiate a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war, warning that "if we are giving everything on the plate to the aggressor, it sends a signal to all the aggressors in the world that you can do this".
In a 28 February, 2025 Face the Nation interview in Washington, Kallas said the EU and the Trump administration had already drafted a resolution "co-sponsoring together with the United States to support Ukraine, and it was a surprise to us that the U.S. suddenly changed the position...but when they met the Russians something happened after that, because the behavior changed." Kallas was in Washington for a planned meeting with Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State, to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. Rubio's office cancelled the meeting after she had already arrived in Washington. A European Commission spokesperson said the cancelation was "due to scheduling issues", but another EU official questioned this explanation.
After the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and his vice president, had a confrontation with the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 28 February 2025 in the Oval Office, Kallas concluded on social media: "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader". In a meeting with Kallas in July 2025, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi stated that China does not want Russia to lose the war in Ukraine. European diplomats said China is concerned that the United States would focus more on Asia once the conflict in Europe is over.
In December 2024, she welcomed the fall of the Assad regime, saying that "Syria shows that Russia is not invincible. We should not underestimate our own power." On 24 February 2025, Kallas announced that the EU lifted sanctions against Syria in some key sectors, such as energy, transport, and banking. On 11 March 2025, she condemned "in the strongest terms" the attacks by pro-Assad militias on Syrian government forces during clashes in western Syria and "welcomed" Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa's commitment to launch an investigation into the massacres of Alawite civilians by pro-government Islamist fighters.
While acknowledging differences between Turkey and the EU on issues such as the Cyprus conflict and sanctions against Russia, Kallas praised Turkey's importance as a key NATO ally and called for stronger cooperation between the EU and Turkey. Kallas did not condemn the arrest of Istanbul mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu. Kallas welcomed the January 2025 ceasefire agreement between Israel and the militant group Hamas. On 24 February 2025, she met with Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar in Brussels for the first formal talks between Israel and the EU since the Gaza war. The European Commission rejected a request from Ireland and Spain to review the EU–Israel Association Agreement.
On 24 March 2025, in the midst of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, Kallas visited Israel. She stated that "resuming negotiations is the only way to put an end to the suffering on both sides" and warned that "violence feeds more violence." On 15 July 2025, Kallas and the foreign ministers of the EU member states decided not to take any action against Israel over alleged Israeli war crimes in the Gaza war and settler violence in the West Bank. The proposed sanctions against Israel included suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, suspending visa-free travel, or blocking imports from Israeli settlements. Gideon Saar considered the EU's decision not to impose sanctions as a diplomatic victory for Israel.
In June 2026, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said that he was severing "all contact" with Kallas following reports that she described Israel's treatment of Palestinians as comparable to Apartheid-era South Africa during a private meeting with Mexican officials. According to Reuters, Sa'ar said he would not resume contact with Kallas unless she retracted the remarks. Kallas responded by expressing appreciation for her conversation with Sa'ar and said that she remained willing to continue dialogue in a "civil and productive manner". She reiterated the European Union's opposition to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and its support for a two-state solution, but did not directly address the reported comment.
In July 2025, Kallas threatened Georgia under the Georgian Dream government with the suspension of visa liberalisation, suspension of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, and sanctions. During a panel discussion at the September 2025 conference of the European Union Institute for Security Studies, Kallas remarked, "Russia was [recently] addressing China like, Russia and China, we fought in the Second World War, we won the Second World War, we won the Nazis. And I was, OK, that is something new." In a speech to the conference, the same day, she remarked that "Europe is engaged in a battle for freedom and democracy" and "must build its geopolitical power."
In September 2025, Kallas announced a new strategic agenda to strengthen EU–India ties, focusing on trade, technology, and defense. She also addressed the India's relationship with Russia, acknowledging
disagreements with India over its ties to Russia, including India's participation in the Zapad 2025 military exercise.
On 28 October 2025, Kallas and Hadja Lahbib released a joint statement calling the RSF's seizure of El Fasher a "dangerous turning point" in the Sudanese civil war and condemning the "brutality" of targeting civilians based on ethnicity. They urged immediate de-escalation, adherence to international humanitarian law, and safe, unhindered humanitarian access.
On 27 January 2026, the European Union and India officially finalized negotiations on a India–European Union Free Trade Agreement during the 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi. Kallas characterized the agreement as a "milestone" for trade, security, and cooperation, emphasizing that global volatility had accelerated the process after nearly two decades of discussions. Alongside the trade deal, Kallas and Indian officials signed a new Security and Defence Partnership.
During 2026, the European External Action Service (EEAS), which operates under the authority of the High Representative and has about 5,000 staff, came under criticism from various European ambassadors and officials, highlighted by a French government discussion paper that listed a number of radical reform options for the EEAS including putting it under the control of the European Commission. Kallas responded that she welcomed a debate about reform, but pointed out that "roles and responsibilities of the EU institutions are clearly defined in the treaties". Her critics responded that while the High Representative role is defined in the Treaty of Lisbon, the EEAS is established by the Council of the European Union so can be changed.
