Russia's war on Ukraine, China, the Middle East and defence spending were the main topics of the first phone call between Kaja Kallas and Marco Rubio. View on euronews

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the Ukraine war, Iran and China on Tuesday in their first phone call since the Trump administration took office on Jan.

European Union leaders are warning that Russia could test the bloc's readiness to defend itself within the next three to five years, calling for an increase in defense budgets and deepen military cooperation among member states.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas reports that the foreign ministers of the EU member states have again decided to extend sanctions against Russia.

The sanctions up for renewal include all sector-based bans on trade as well as the measures that immobilised Russia's central bank assets. Legally, EU countries must unanimously vote to renew these restrictions every six months.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed on the need to maintain "maximum pressure on Moscow to move towards a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine,

Both officials agreed on the importance of “continuing to exert maximum pressure on Russia to achieve a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine.” The conversation also touched on the need to strengthen cooperation between the EU and the United States,

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, spoke by phone with Marco Rubio, the incoming US Secretary of State. Source: Kaja Kallas on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Kallas described the discussion with Rubio as a "good call".