Kaja Sõrg

1552nd day since Russia invaded. Ukraine resists. Ukraine stands firmly. #StandWithUkraine️

The deal with Mexico further liberalises trade, particularly for EU agriculture, while also improving access to critical minerals and creating benefits for SMEs through simplified procedures. The EU continues to show its commitment to open, rules-based international trade💪

Pleased to see the modernised EU–Mexico trade agreement 🇪🇺🇲🇽A key part of the Commission’s trade agenda is to modernise existing trade agreements to unlock further benefits

A new podcast episode is out now! With: @ZovkoEU, @DolorsMM, @MicWawrykiewicz. Tune in! 🎧 epp.group/s7e19

"We paid a dire economic price for depending on Russian energy. There's no point in going back." EU economy chief @VDombrovskis tells #EuropeToday the EU won't ease sanctions on Russia to curb Europe's energy crisis: "If anything, we need to strengthen sanctions." Watch:

Watch #EuropeToday LIVE: EU economy chief Dombrovskis rules out easing Russia sanctions despite inflation fears x.com/i/broadcasts/1…

RUSSIA’S UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEADERS EXPRESS FULL SOLIDARITY WITH THE BALTIC STATES   Statement of the European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents in response to Russia’s allegations against Latvia as well as Estonia and Lithuania. The Conference of Presidents strongly rejects the recent unfounded and dangerous allegations made by the Russian Federation against Latvia as well as Estonia and Lithuania, including claims that the Baltic states are preparing hostile actions against Russia or allowing their territory or airspace or military facilities to be used for attacks against Russia. Allegations which Latvia has categorically denied as disinformation. These accusations form part of a broader pattern of intimidation, disinformation and provocation directed against EU Member States and are particularly serious in light of repeated incursions of unidentified drones into the airspace and territory of the Baltic states. Such actions are unacceptable and contribute to heightened tensions and instability in the region. The Conference of Presidents expresses its full solidarity with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. No EU Member State can be threatened, intimidated or subjected to coercive pressure by Russia. The security of the Baltic states is the security of the European Union as a whole. We call on the Commission, the High Representative and the Council to continue supporting Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in close coordination with @NATO, in strengthening airspace surveillance, counter-drone capabilities and situational awareness, and in reinforcing their capacity to prevent and respond to further incursions. We call on the Commission, the High Representative and the Council to continue countering disinformation with stronger strategic communication, mobilise EU resources to protect the Eastern flank and reject fake news that threaten European democracy and security. The European Union must remain united, vigilant and resolute in the face of Russian attempts to destabilise its neighbourhood, undermine European security and divide Member States.

Russia accuses the Baltic states of preparing hostile actions. Here comes the usual Kremlin propaganda: threatening and building narratives to justify further escalation. The Baltic states are not alone. Any threat against an EU member is a threat to the entire Union.

The perfect Baltic Airspace Protection Plan: 1. Ask Ukraine for advice 2. Use it

Today, Estonian MFA summoned the Russian Chargé d’Affaires ad interim to condemn Russia’s ongoing disinformation campaign against Estonia and the Baltic States. Russia continues to spread false accusations, threats and deliberate provocations. Let us be absolutely clear: Estonia has not allowed its territory or airspace to be used for attacks against Russia. These claims are false and Russia knows it. The appearance of drones in Baltic region is a direct consequence of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Ukraine has the right to defend itself against the aggressor and strike military targets sustaining Russia’s war machine. Estonia will not be intimidated by propaganda or threats. A threat against one NATO Ally is a threat against the whole Alliance, and our Allies stand united behind us.

Pērn Krievijas pilsoņiem izsniegto Šengenas vīzu skaits atkal pieaudzis. Izsniegtas vairāk nekā 620 000 vīzas, no kurām apmēram 477 000 bija tūrisma vīzas. Gandrīz trīs ceturtdaļas visu pieteikumu saņēma Francija, Itālija un Spānija. Francija vīzu izsniegšanu palielinājusi par vairāk nekā 23 %. Tas notiek laikā, kad Krievija turpina brutālo karu pret Ukrainu un Krievijas sabiedriskās domas aptaujas joprojām rāda plašu atbalstu Krievijas armijas rīcībai. Tāpēc esmu vērsusies pie ES Augstās pārstāves ārlietās @kajakallas ar jautājumu par stingrākiem ierobežojumiem Krievijas pilsoņu tūrisma vīzām. Šādi ierobežojumi ne tikai stiprinātu ES konsekvenci un solidaritāti ar Ukrainu, bet arī kalpotu kā efektīvs instruments, lai mazinātu sabiedrības atbalstu karam pašā Krievijā. Nav pieļaujams, ka, kamēr Ukrainā turpinās karš, Eiropa pakāpeniski atgriežas pie attieksmes, ka attiecībās ar Krieviju atkal “viss ir normāli” ne tūrismā, ne sportā, kultūrā vai citās jomās. Krieviju nevar uztvert kā normālu partneri, kamēr tā turpina agresiju pret Ukrainu.

Horrific moment russian drone struck an apartment building in Dnipro just now ‼️

A long time ago, when I was an honorary professor at Copenhagen Business School, I shared an office with a professor of philosophy. He was a wise man, and I have always held him in deep respect. One of the most subtle observations he ever made was this: “Communists and liberals agree on only one thing — and unfortunately, it is the very thing they are both wrong about: that everything is about money.” Admitting that he was at least partly right still stings a little. After all, I spent many years representing a liberal political party. What comforts me is that liberalism is a broad and heterogeneous tradition. There are currents within it that do indeed reduce everything to money and incentives. But there are also full-blooded liberals who understand perfectly well that a society is not made up of individuals alone. It also consists of binding communities, culture, habits, and institutions. That is why I always insisted that my party should remain an alliance of many different kinds of liberals. And why this long introduction? Because many of the bad decisions made by Western political elites after the Cold War were rooted in a remarkably naive version of liberalism. To be fair, it was not liberalism alone that went astray. A much broader Western elite consensus shared the same flawed assumptions. People came to believe that the invisible hand would not only deliver bread to the hungry and water to the thirsty in the most efficient way possible. They also seemed to believe it would transform Russia, China, and the countries of the Middle East into exemplary liberal democracies. That turned out to be profoundly mistaken. Russia did not become a liberal democracy through economic integration. Neither did China. Nor did the countries of the Middle East. One of the central lessons of the post-Cold War era is this: it is entirely possible to have a liberal economy without liberalism spreading to the political system itself. And here I must be brutally honest, or we will learn nothing from what happened: This extremely economistic version of liberalism was simply the wrong instrument for dealing with the complexity of the world after the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was a child in the 1960s and a young man in the 1970s. I loved the revolt against traditions, norms, and rigid social roles. Hand on heart, the world at that time was deeply authoritarian - including in the West. There were very narrow limits to how far one could stray from the path laid down by one’s ancestors. That deserved to be challenged. And it was. But as an adult, and as a politician with responsibility, I have had to recognize something else as well: All of that is necessary. But it is not sufficient. Perhaps that is also where the post-Cold War West lost its footing. We confused economic integration with civilisational integration. We assumed that access to trade, markets, consumer goods, and international institutions would gradually dissolve older loyalties, historical instincts, religious passions, and geopolitical ambitions. But human beings are not driven by economics alone. Nations are not balance sheets. Civilisations are not supply chains. And political cultures do not vanish simply because people start buying flat-screen televisions and smartphones. Even Adam Smith would probably have understood that. He was, after all, a moral philosopher long before he became an economist.

Russia’s intimidation and provocations against Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are unacceptable and heighten tensions in the region. We stand firmly with the Baltic States. No Member State should be threatened by Russia. The security of the Baltics is the security of Europe. The EU must remain united, vigilant and resolute against Russian attempts to destabilise its neighbourhood and undermine European security. Statement by @Europarl_EN Conference of Presidents: link.europa.eu/ynhfBk

.@Europarl_EN political group leaders expresses full solidarity with the #Baltic states: europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-… via @Europarl_EN

Euroopa Parlament seisab kindlalt Balti riikide selja taga europarl.europa.eu/news/et/press-…

Apparently Estonia now has the most Michelin nods per capita in the Nordic-Baltic region 😉⭐️ We love good food!

A win for the EPP Group and for the work we led throughout these negotiations. As standing rapporteur for the EPP Group on this file, I fought for an agreement based on reciprocal and fair trade, balanced and effective safeguards, a longer-term and more stable framework through the sunset clause, and dedicated solutions for sensitive sectors such as steel and aluminium. This agreement sends an important message: in an increasingly unstable world, strategic partners must be able to deliver stability, predictability and trust when it matters most.

The EPP Group welcomes the agreement reached between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the EU-US Framework Agreement on Trade, known as the “Turnberry” deal, as an important step towards easing transatlantic trade tensions and restoring certainty for European businesses and workers. @jorgenwarborn MEP, the EPP Group’s spokesman on international trade, said the agreement offered the best available basis for restoring predictability in transatlantic trade and safeguarding the rules-based global trading system. “Despite its shortcomings, the Turnberry deal remains the most viable option currently available and the preferable outcome for EU businesses. These files have taken far too long for Parliament to conclude, prolonging the uncertainty that businesses face day after day. The EPP Group has worked to conclude them as quickly as possible, while ensuring that strong safeguards are in place to address the uncertainties surrounding Trump. This discussion is not about being anti-Trump; it is about being pro-European business. We now need to move swiftly so that Parliament can finally vote on these files, continue working on the remaining issues in the joint statement, and provide the predictability that European companies have been calling for for more than a year.” Read more: ow.ly/xaGJ50Z23v4

Last night, MEPs and representatives of Member States reached a compromise on the trade deal agreed between the EU and the US last summer. 🇪🇺🇺🇸 The agreement brings greater certainty for European businesses, helping protect investments, and economic stability. It is about people and their jobs. We consistently warned against the economic consequences of tariff escalation between the EU and the US. Europe cannot afford a trade conflict with its most important strategic and economic partner. Our focus has been clear: secure a deal that protects European companies and workers while addressing growing concerns over uncertainty and predictability in transatlantic trade relations. #EUUS