Kallas Urges Immediate Enhancement of Maritime Capabilities for EUNAVFOR Aspides Mission

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stressed yesterday the need to bolster European maritime capabilities in the Middle East, particularly to support the European maritime operation in the Red Sea, “Aspides,” which is suffering from a shortage of naval assets. The European foreign policy official noted that the EU is cooperating with the Saudi-led Defense Maritime Coalition to avoid duplication of roles, and hinted at the possibility of the EU joining the coalition as an observer, according to Al Arabiya Net.

Kallas called for supporting the Aspides mission with naval vessels to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea, noting that the number of ships requesting protection is continuously increasing. She stated that the need to support the Aspides mission has become greater than ever. In remarks made on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting at the level of defense ministers in Brussels yesterday, she said, “We need more naval assets to ensure their efficient operational capability in the region,” emphasizing that the need for additional naval assets is “greater than ever.”

The official clarified that the European maritime mission in the Bab al-Mandab Strait is facing a severe shortage and an urgent need for warships, revealing that the current force does not even meet the targeted number of 10 naval vessels capable of supporting and escorting commercial ships. Kallas said, “The EU has the Aspides operation,” but it urgently requires more warships than it currently deploys, stressing that the EU is receiving numerous requests to escort and secure ships through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, but fulfilling these requests requires the availability of warships. The “Aspides” operation was launched in 2024 to protect commercial ships from missile attacks by the Houthi militia.

On another front, EU defense ministers discussed whether the bloc needs its own emergency mechanism similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to enhance coordination in facing Russia’s “multi-domain attacks.” Kallas said yesterday’s discussions addressed the “broader strategy to counter hybrid attacks.” EU defense ministers generally welcomed efforts aimed at strengthening the bloc’s response, as they seek ways to address what they consider an escalating threat from Moscow.

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee, whose country is one of only four EU members not part of NATO, said, “We must be able not only to respond when incidents occur, but also to anticipate any potential escalation, and work with member states and among ourselves to ensure a robust response if something happens.”