Esteemed guests, 

Dear Ministers, it is an honour to be sharing the stage with you. 

Thanks to the International Institute for Strategic Studies for your work in organising such a great meeting of minds and for inviting me for the second time. 

This year marks 80 years since the end of World War Two. When autocratic powers tried to bend the global order to their will, and lost. 80 years ago, freedom prevailed. 

We collectively established a rules-based international system with the United Nations at its core. We developed legal principles to try crimes of atrocity. We established international law to protect territorial integrity. We signed the United Nations Charter. This is a treaty that binds every UN Member State by law. 

80 years after the end of World War Two, some actors are subverting its very foundation. It is the greatest challenge of our time.

Three points.

First, Russia is waging an illegal war of aggression by invading a sovereign state. 

The UN Charter provides for only two legal grounds for the use of force: 

• Self-defence;
• And the authorisation of force by the Security Council in response to a threat to peace, a breach of aggression and an act of aggression.

There are no ‘root causes’ under international law that allow for the use of force. 

North Korea directly contributes to the illegal aggression with soldiers, arms and ammunition. And China says it’s neutral, but its dual-use exports are fuelling Russia’s war. When China and Russia speak of leading together changes not seen in a hundred years and of revisions to the global security order, we should all be extremely worried. 

Back in 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Kishida warned from this stage that Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow. We are over three years into this war now. 

We speak in Europe about Ukraine’s defence as our defence. But it is the defence  of our common security. We have to stop Russia in its tracks. If we don’t, all we do is validate the claim that you can just take your neighbour’s territory by force. If we don’t defend the law, we validate aggression. 

Second, Europe and Asia also share many other security challenges. 

On maritime security, we share a commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. And the EU always speaks out when countries challenge this, including in the South China Sea. We also speak out when tensions escalate in the Taiwan Strait and we oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, including by force or coercion. 

And with threats to our critical underwater infrastructure, our security is literally interlinked. In 2023, a Chinese-flagged ship dragged its anchor for over 180 km in the Baltic Sea, damaging a gas pipeline and undersea cables. Reckless at best; sabotage at worst.  This behaviour should be under global scrutiny, as it is in the interest of all. European and Asian partners should work together to protect our undersea cables. And we should be ready to review existing law to ensure it is fit for this era and can address the challenges we face. 

We should also collectively address the challenge of shadow fleets. The EU has already imposed sanctions and is prepared to take further action in this regard. 

The EU’s own naval missions have already escorted hundreds of merchant vessels through the Red Sea and repelled Houthi attacks, as well as helped to reduce piracy in the Indian Ocean. 

When it comes to nuclear weapons, the Non-Proliferation Treaty has meant a safer world for us all. The EU sanctions those in breach of international nuclear norms, such as the DPRK, but also works for de-escalation whereever it is possible. 

Cyber is another domain of unrestricted competition that also knows no borders. Recently, Chinese state backed actors were behind a malicious cyber campaign against Czechia. These attacks are unacceptable. 

These are the examples of the European Union standing up for international law because it protects us and everybody else. 

International law is the best deterrence for all countries, large and small. The rules-based global order is also the only guarantee for our safety and self-determination. When might replaces right, no border is safe.

In the era of major instability, this system is more important than ever. If anything, this is the era it was built for. But we have to enforce the rules and reinforce them if we need. 

Third, those who breach international law are often the same as those who see international relations as a zero-sum game. It is not. Our strategy for the Indo-Pacific is the exact opposite of this. It is about building strong partnerships in our mutual interest. All of us are always better off when we work together!

The EU offers reliable and credible partnerships. You can trade with us, innovate with us, and lead the green transition with us. We are the world’s largest trading bloc, a top three investment partner to most countries in the region, and our power is not only economic.

In the face of the geopolitical challenges, the EU has:

• shifted gear;
• reimagined our own paradigm as a peace project backed up with hard defence – we are making up to 800 billion euro available for defence investments;
• and are fast becoming a global security partner, too.

We have agreed security and defence partnerships with Japan and the Republic of Korea, for example. We would like to deepen our security relations with India and Australia, and many others, as well. Europe has a long-term, strategic commitment to this region.

Esteemed guests, 

The World War that ended 80 years ago this year, came at too high a cost for humanity to throw away the achievements we have made.

The UN Charter and international law – far from abstract ideas – are the best tools we have to protect peace and hold aggressors to account. They are the bedrock of stability. 

So we stand firm against those who ignore the rules and ensure accountability for those who break them. And we throw our weight behind partnerships! 

If you reject unilateralism, bullying and aggression, and instead choose cooperation, shared prosperity and common security, the EU will always be by your side.

Thank you.