EU foreign policy chief says the US, China and Russia prefer a less unified Europe
The Facts
- Kaja Kallas said the US, China and Russia prefer a less unified Europe because a united EU is stronger and can act as an equal power.
- Kallas made the remarks at the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia.
- Kallas said it is easier for major powers to deal with individual European countries than with the EU acting collectively.
- She urged EU member states not to weaken the bloc by pursuing bilateral deals or separate channels with the United States.
- Kallas said the Trump administration does not like a unified EU because it sees the bloc as a geopolitical power Washington must contend with.
- Kallas linked this issue to a broader concern that some EU countries may respond by building their own ties with Washington, which she said could weaken the EU's common position.
- The comments come as European leaders face uncertainty about Washington's long-term commitment to European security.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- A more unified EU is harder for major powers to play off against individual member states, and bilateral channels that bypass the bloc would weaken Europe’s ability to act collectively at a moment of uncertainty about US security commitments.
- They split on
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: the strategic cost to Europe’s collective protection if unity erodes, versus the internal discipline required to stop member states from bypassing the EU for narrower national advantage.
Context
Why did Kallas say these countries prefer a less unified Europe?
Kallas said the reason is that the EU is stronger when it acts together, making it more of an equal power. She also said major powers find it easier to negotiate with individual European states than with the bloc collectively TRT World,Anadolu Ajansı,POLITICO.
Who is Kaja Kallas in this context?
Kallas is the EU's foreign policy chief, described in the sources as the bloc's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy or top diplomat TRT World,Anadolu Ajansı,POLITICO.
What practical concern did she raise for EU governments?
She warned EU member states not to weaken the union by pursuing bilateral arrangements or separate channels with Washington, saying that this can reinforce efforts to deal with Europe country by country rather than through the EU as a whole IndexHR,Dnevnik.hr,Dnevni list Danas,POLITICO.
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