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

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas have agreed on the need to exert maximum pressure on Russia to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, says an unnamed EU official who is familiar with the contents of the phone conversation between these two politicians, reports Bloomberg.

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 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".