Kaja Kallas called on member states to turn their pledged contributions to the ASPIDES naval operation into ships actually deployed, warning that the European Union cannot respond to all companies requesting escorts in the Red Sea. In her address to the European Parliament on October 20, the EU’s foreign policy chief also announced the dispatch of a liaison officer to coordinate with the Saudi-led coalition. The appeal comes after the postponement of the EU–Gulf Cooperation Council summit, scheduled to take place in Riyadh on October 24, amid deteriorating regional security.
In brief, Kallas called on October 20 for the actual deployment of ships pledged by member states: ASPIDES cannot respond to all companies requesting escorts. The statement does not confirm that new frigates had already arrived. The EU will send a liaison officer to coordinate with the Saudi-led coalition. Kallas did not say that the officer had already been deployed; ASPIDES retains its defensive character. The EU–GCC summit scheduled for October 24 in Riyadh had already been postponed on October 15, for security reasons and because flights had been suspended. The statement did not set a new date. The European humanitarian plan for Yemen in 2026 amounts to €85 million. Kallas separately mentioned another €2.5 million for emergencies in September; a €9 million MASAR/UNDP agreement supports local recovery. UNVIM benefits from €2,480,794.55 for October 2026–December 2027, approved in September. The €2.5 million cited by Kallas for this mechanism is a rounded figure for the same amount, distinct from emergency humanitarian aid. Kallas said that more than 22 million people need assistance and called for the resumption of UN mediation. The funding has different purposes, does not represent a single new package, and does not prove that all the amounts have already been paid.
Kallas described very high demand for support from shipping companies and an insufficient number of ships to assist them all. The additional contributions announced by states are important, she said, but they must reach the sea for the Union to remain a credible security provider. The statement does not specify the exact number of ships available that day and does not confirm the arrival of additional frigates.
The announced liaison officer is expected to facilitate coordination and avoid overlapping activities with the Saudi-led coalition. Kallas presented the deployment as a future action, without saying that it had already taken place. She stressed that ASPIDES protects commercial shipping and does not participate in the war in the region. The operation, launched in February 2024, has a defensive mandate and does not carry out strikes against land targets in Yemen.
The shortage of ships was not an issue raised for the first time on October 20. At the press conference following the Foreign Affairs Council on October 12, Kallas said that the operation needed at least ten ships and that this level had not been reached. The new intervention shows that the lack of assets persists and emphasizes the deployment of pledged contributions and regional coordination.
The summit with the Gulf states had already been postponed on October 15. In a statement by the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi cited the continued Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian targets, the prolonged suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport, and the safety of delegations. The October 24 meeting was to be rescheduled for a date agreed by both sides; the statement did not set a new date.
In her October 20 address, Kallas condemned Houthi attacks on the Presidential Palace in Aden, Riyadh airport, and residential areas of the Saudi capital. She expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government and attributed a role to Iran in financing, equipping, and training the Houthi rebels. These claims are the positions presented by the High Representative during the debate. Referring to MEPs’ calls to place the movement on the EU list of terrorist organizations, Kallas said that the agreement of all member states was necessary; she did not announce the adoption of such a decision.
The economic importance of maritime routes was another argument in her address. Kallas estimated that approximately one-fifth of EU trade passes through the Red Sea, without specifying the methodology used for the calculation. For companies, risks can affect route choices, insurance, and transit times. Avoiding the Suez Canal by sailing around Africa lengthens journeys, but actual costs depend on the destination, cargo, and market conditions.
European support for Yemen includes instruments distinct from naval protection funding. The DG ECHO plan for 2026 provides €85 million for humanitarian assistance. Kallas separately mentioned another €2.5 million mobilized for emergency humanitarian interventions in September. The published budget confirms the annual allocation, while the statement indicates additional mobilization; these documents do not constitute an accounting of all payments made.
A separate €9 million agreement was signed on October 6 in Amman by the EU Delegation to Yemen and the United Nations Development Programme. The MASAR project seeks to strengthen local administrations, improve services, and fund investments identified based on community priorities. The value of the agreement does not represent money intended for military escorts, nor does it confirm that the entire amount has already been spent.
For the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen, UNVIM, the Council approved on September 22 a reference amount of €2,480,794.55 for the period from October 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027. The decision supports strengthening the mechanism at the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef, and Ras Issa and, when necessary, at other points in neighboring countries. UNVIM contributes to the verification of shipments and the implementation of the arms embargo, as part of a strategy that also seeks to meet the population’s needs.
In her address, Kallas rounded UNVIM support up to €2.5 million. This is the instrument approved in September, not additional funding on top of the €2.48 million provided for in the decision. It is, however, distinct from the €2.5 million for humanitarian emergencies, the annual DG ECHO budget, and the MASAR agreement. The funding has different periods and objectives and does not form a single new package announced in Strasbourg.
Kallas warned that more than 22 million people in Yemen need assistance and that approximately 200,000 have been forced to leave their homes since August, in addition to the population already displaced. She called for support for UN mediation and the resumption of political negotiations. For the Union, strengthening commercial escorts and coordinating with regional partners remain security measures, while assistance to the population and diplomacy address needs that naval protection cannot resolve on its own.
Context: ASPIDES was still understaffed, while the EU was gradually expanding its tasks around undersea infrastructureBefore her intervention in the European Parliament, Kaja Kallas had warned at the beginning of autumn that commercial vessels were having to wait for escorts because ASPIDES did not have enough frigates capable of providing both escort and air defense. Against the backdrop of this pressure, the operation retains its defensive mandate to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and nearby waters.
Also before the statement of 20 October, the EU Council had expanded some of ASPIDES’s tasks in March: collecting and distributing information about suspicious activities near critical undersea infrastructure, cooperating with the Yemeni coast guard, and supporting the training of maritime forces in Djibouti. The mandate was subsequently extended until 28 February 2027, while the composition of the operation depends on national contributions, which may vary from one rotation to another.
