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The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, warned Monday that Russia is “gambling with war” after a series of Russian drones and military jets violated EU airspace, prompting NATO to strengthen its defenses along the bloc’s eastern flank.
“Every time a Russian drone or plane violates our airspace, there is a risk of escalation, unintended or not. Russia is gambling with war,” Kallas said during a visit to Kyiv.
“To keep war at bay, we must translate the economic power of Europe into military deterrence,” she added.
NATO said Moscow appeared to be testing the alliance’s air defense systems, citing multiple incursions involving drones and fighter jets, including violations of Estonian airspace.
The alliance has increased air patrols and radar coverage across member states' borders with Russia and Belarus.
Kallas’ trip to Kyiv focused on EU military and financial support for Ukraine, particularly to protect its energy infrastructure, as Russia has renewed strikes on power plants ahead of winter.
Ukraine was forced to introduce rolling blackouts across seven central and eastern regions following the latest wave of attacks, which Kyiv called “cynical.”
“The enemy wants to affect the spirit and mood of our population,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said at a joint press conference with Kallas. “This is especially cynical on the eve of winter,” he added.
Ukraine has retaliated by targeting Russian oil refineries, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s war funding.
Since early August, over 30 strikes have hit Russian energy sites, triggering a spike in fuel prices within Russia.
An oil depot in Russian-occupied Crimea was struck overnight, causing a large fire, according to both the region’s Moscow-installed governor and a Ukrainian security source.
Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike killed a married couple in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, local authorities said Monday.
Kallas also voiced support for the US plan to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk long-range missiles, saying, “We welcome all tools that make Ukraine stronger and Russia weaker.”
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will send Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine if its war with Russia is not settled.
Trump said Ukraine would “like to have Tomahawks” as he left for Israel and Egypt ahead of the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit on a Gaza ceasefire.
“We talked about that, and so we'll see,” Trump said, referencing his talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest. Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so. I think I might speak to Russia about that, in all fairness,” he said he told President Zelenskyy, calling Tomahawks “a new step of aggression.”
“Look, if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks. I may say that the Tomahawk is a credible weapon, a very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that… I might tell them that if the war is not settled, we may very well. We may not, but we may do it.”
“I want to see the war settled,” he added.
His remarks came after Zelenskyy said Sunday that Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan provides "hope" that a similar approach could end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy also said the two countries are working on the U.S. sending long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv.
Last Monday, Trump said he was close to deciding whether to send Tomahawks to Kyiv, adding that he wants to “find out what they're doing with them, where they're sending them.”
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