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Estonian PM Kallas will take over as next EU foreign policy head, sources tell RFE/RL

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Estonian PM Kallas will take over as next EU foreign policy head, sources tell RFE/RL
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky after their meeting in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, on April 24, 2023. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will be appointed the next foreign policy chief of the EU, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on June 26, citing unnamed sources.

Kallas will succeed Josep Borrell, who has held the position since 2019.

Sources also told RFE/RL that Antonio Costa, the former prime minister of Portugal, will become the next president of the European Council, taking over from the current president, Charles Michel.

Kallas had previously expressed interest in becoming the next NATO Secretary General, but eventually backed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was officially appointed to the position on June 26.

First elected as Estonia's prime minister in 2021, Kallas' international profile has grown since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as she has become one of the most outspoken proponents of Western support.

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international aid for Ukraine, Estonia has allocated 569 million euros ($608 million) in support. In terms of percentage of its GDP (1.6%), Estonia ranks first among Ukraine's international partners.

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