Europe must step up amid ‘new realities’ of US relationship, says EU foreign policy chief – Europe live | Europe
important events
Danish Frederiksen says “The world order as we know it is over” and will not return
We also get the first speech of a public event with the Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen and prime minister of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen at the Sciences Po University in Paris.
Let’s take the theme of the morning so far, Frederiksen warned that “I do not think that the world order as we know it is over and will return.”
Ah. It’s not even 10 am yet.
I’ll bring you more on this as soon as we receive it.
Defense chief says EU must ‘rapidly’ build defense ‘independence’ and strengthen European NATO arm
The EU’s defense commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, follows Kallas and strikes much the same tone of urgency when outlining the bloc’s defense policies.
says The EU needs to be prepared for a decline in US presence in Europeand rQuickly develop defensive “independence” without “delay” or excuses.
He emphasizes that “independence” does not mean going it alone, but building on what already exists. Strengthening NATO’s European arm.
This is again clearly a response to Rutte’s comments earlier this week.
He also says this Europe needs to “develop not only national talents but also pan-European talents” “Some gaps are so big that they can only be filled together.”
Kubilius too calls for a new European Security Council – It is an idea first put forward by Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel in the late 2010s to improve political coordination on defense.
‘One country’s veto cannot determine the policy of others,’ says EU’s Kallas
Kallas also fired a warning shot at EU countries that sometimes try to block the bloc’s policies.He says this should not be tolerated, especially regarding Russia.
“Let’s face it, Europe can be slow. Unanimity means we cannot always move at the speed of relevance. Of course there are policy differences between member states. This is all natural, but unanimity is also used as a bargaining tool by some. And One country’s veto cannot define the policy of others.”
Yes, he probably means Hungary Viktor Orban especially.
We expect to see more comments along these lines as we get closer to the country’s risky parliamentary elections in April, which could mean the end of Orbán’s 16-year rule.
EU’s Kallas says NATO ‘must become more European to maintain its power’
In comments that could be seen as a challenge to NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte and his recent insistence that Europe cannot defend itself without the United States (Europe Live, Monday), the EU’s Kallas specifically called for more work on NATO’s European side.
“NATO needs to become more European to maintain its powerAnd for this Europe needs to take action. “For example, we need to ensure that our security and defense initiatives remain complementary to NATO.”
In comments that will likely attract attention at NATO headquarters in Brussels, he said:
“For this reason, the ball is in NATO’s court. If you want to use EU tools, such as our budget and regulatory power, to support and enable NATO, we need to know what those needs and objectives are. “The more information NATO provides, the better we can adapt here.”
He concluded:
“In short, We need to synchronize our efforts with NATO will complement each other and Showing how different value the European column adds “Through greater burden sharing and military power on our continent.”
Opening morning: EU’s Kallas warns EU must step down in this emerging new dangerous world or risk its future
Yakup Krupa
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas He spoke at the European Defense Agency’s annual conference this morning and the picture he paints is quite bleak.
In summary:
“We need to prepare ourselves for the future. The crisis we face has deepened dramatically in the past year.”
Who could he be referring to here?
He spoke about the ongoing impact of Russia’s aggressive behavior on Ukraine and increasing global uncertainty, and also said: yes, the dramatically changing nature of EU-US relations This has formed the basis of the transatlantic system over the last eighty years.
Kallas warned. “With Washington no longer the primary center of gravity,” “Europe needs to adapt to new realities.”
He made a stern warning:
“The change has been going on for a while, it is not temporary, it is structural.
This means Europe must step up. “No great power in history has been able to survive by outsourcing.”
HE Alarm was raised about the “risk of a full return to coercive power”politics, spheres of influence and the world where might is right very real.”
Kallas says Europe – and more specifically the EU – must respond by increasing defense spending and getting clear about what role it wants to play in tomorrow’s world.
Based on his personal story, he said:
“When I was a student in Estonia, when no one had a mobile phone in their pocket, many schools used the bell system to tell you the time.
The first bell was the signal to enter class. The second bell was a warning and the third bell meant you were late and there would be consequences.
We are now dangerously close to the third bell.”
Sip. Who needs coffee, huh?
I will bring it to you More lines from EU Kallas and as the bloc’s defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius Speak at this conference, we also invite you The latest updates from Ukraine, the fight for Greenland’s future and other important topics of the day.
His Wednesday, January 28, 2026, his Yakup Krupa here and this Europe Live.
Good morning.
