Europe must step up urgently to improve its defense and make NATO more European to maintain its strength, warned Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, at a recent defense conference. She stated that the shift in the transatlantic relationship underlined the importance of Europe rethinking its defense strategy.
No great power has ever outsourced its survival and survived, Kallas declared, underscoring the need for Europe to assert its autonomy. The backdrop for her comments includes previous tensions with the US, notably during Donald Trump's presidency, where implications of territorial threats were a concern.
Her statements followed NATO leader Mark Rutte's assertion that Europeans should not assume they could defend themselves without US support, which faced pushback from figures like French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who argued for European control over security.
Kallas reiterated that the European approach to security needed to evolve from individual national efforts towards a more united, cohesive strategy. She noted that it was crucial for the 23 nations that are part of both the EU and NATO to synchronize efforts and demonstrate how a distinct European pillar could provide added value.
As geopolitical tensions simmer and the US alters its focus, Kallas identified these structural changes as a challenge rather than a temporary setback, calling for a united European response to address the defense needs effectively.
