During the UN Security Council’s annual session on EU-UN cooperation in New York on April 14, 2026, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas described current global crises as the most severe violation of international law since World War II. She focused on Russia’s war against Ukraine and another major conflict, referencing Russia 11 times while making no mention of the United States or Israel.
Amnesty International’s Response
Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, criticized Kallas’ selective emphasis in a post on X. Callamard highlighted Kallas’ statement: “the gravest violation and breakdown of international law since the Second World War, evident, I quote ‘in today’s two pre-eminent global crises — Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the war…'”
Callamard described the omission of the US and Israel—identified as key actors in major violations—as “not just cowardice. It is criminal.” She argued that such double standards undermine international law.
Nebenzia’s Counterarguments
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, delivered a 12-minute response at the council. He questioned Kallas’ understanding of history, pointing to her recent comment poraying the alliance of Russia and China against Nazism in World War II as “something new.”
Nebenzia noted that Russia and China suffered around 35 million losses as victors in that conflict. He remarked, “It would be very interesting to meet Mrs. Kallas’s history teacher.”
Analysts at Responsible Statecraft labeled Kallas’ perspective as displaying “shocking ignorance.” Observers point out that Kallas, like EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, frequently critiques Moscow but rarely addresses actions by Washington.
