Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, has pushed back against criticism from the United States, accusing Washington of indulging in 'fashionable euro-bashing'. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, she rejected claims that Europe faces 'civilisational erasure', insisting that other countries still look up to the bloc.
Kallas pointed to global interest in joining the EU, noting that over 40% of Canadians have expressed an interest in membership. She also challenged US criticism of European media freedom, highlighting that her home country Estonia ranks second in the world press freedom index, while the US ranks 58th.
Her remarks followed a speech by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who offered conditional partnership but demanded Europe adapt on issues like migration, trade, and defence spending. Kallas suggested some of Rubio's comments were aimed at a domestic audience and defended the EU's record on human rights, calling accusations 'very hard to take'.
On Ukraine, Kallas acknowledged that a date for EU membership is not imminent, calling a 2027 target unrealistic. She also stressed that the US cannot resolve the war in Ukraine without European involvement, a message reinforced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's affirmation of close US-UK intelligence ties.
