EU officials unhappy with Kallas – Politico
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has been criticized by nearly a dozen EU officials over her hawkish stance on Russia and leadership style, Politico has reported, citing unnamed sources.
According to the outlet, Kallas’ challenges began on her first day in office in December, following her tweet stating, “The European Union wants Ukraine to win this war” against Russia. Several EU officials reportedly felt uneasy that the former Estonian prime minister, within a day of assuming her new role, “felt at liberty to go beyond” established language norms.
”If you listen to her, it seems we are at war with Russia, which is not the EU line,” Politico cited one EU official as complaining on Wednesday.
Kallas has been a vocal critic of Russia and an advocate for increased military support to Ukraine. Her initiative to increase EU military aid to Kiev to up to €40 billion ($43.1 million) (sic - this should be $43.1 billion) this year faced opposition from member states like Italy and Spain, who do not perceive Moscow as an immediate threat to the EU. Kallas, however, still has her defenders among the EU’s northern and eastern states, noted Politico.
Russia has openly criticized the top diplomat, labeling her statements “rabidly Russophobic,” and “undiplomatic,” and accusing her of pushing for militarization amid ongoing US-brokered peace talks on Ukraine.
She’s also reportedly been criticized for continuing to act like a prime minister by failing to consult diplomats from member countries before making sensitive proposals.
Kallas’ relationship with the United States has been questioned by some officials. After the sudden cancellation of her February meeting in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attributed to “scheduling issues,” Politico sources suggested that Kallas had not adequately prepared by providing a clear agenda to US counterparts.
After a contentious February Oval Office exchange involving US President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, Kallas tweeted, “The free world needs a new leader.” The apparent jab at Trump reportedly unsettled nations eager to maintain strong ties with the US administration.
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EU ‘rearmament’ plan meets resistance over debt concerns – Politico
Southern European states have been pushing back against an EU plan to ramp up military spending through loans, amid concerns it could deepen their already heavy debt burdens, Politico reported on Wednesday.
The so-called ‘ReArm Europe Plan’, unveiled this month by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calls for up to €800 billion ($850 billion) in debt and tax breaks for the bloc’s military industrial complex. The proposal includes a €150 billion loan package and an emergency clause to loosen EU fiscal rules (ie, removing debt brakes).
However, according to unnamed EU diplomats cited in the report, some countries have “serious doubts” about taking on additional debt. France, Italy, and Spain have been reportedly advocating grants – or so-called ‘defense bonds’ – rather than loans.
Such bonds would require joint EU borrowing on capital markets, a move that needs unanimous approval from all 27 member states.
Von der Leyen has so far avoided backing the idea, wary of opposition from fiscally hawkish states like Germany and the Netherlands, who fear it could set a precedent for shared EU debt.
“No Eurobonds,” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said after a recent EU leaders summit.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the plan’s reliance on national debt, calling the proposed April deadline “a bit too close” and saying “we should have more time [to decide].”
Italy and Spain have also urged a broader definition of military spending exempt from EU fiscal limits. Madrid has proposed including border control, cybersecurity, and infrastructure resilience.
Southwest Europe is farther from Russia than some EU states and, therefore, not in as big a panic as they. The panic is a reflection of just how stupid most EU leaders really are since Russia's actions in Ukraine are reactions to NATOs aggression in Russian border states, not Russian aggression.
France does not plan to trigger the emergency clause, two EU diplomats said, citing concerns over market reactions and its debt-to-GDP ratio above 110%. Germany is expected to invoke the clause to help fund a €500 billion military expansion but is unlikely to take EU loans since it can raise the money more cheaply on its own.
However, weaker economies have raised concerns that requesting EU loans first could signal financial vulnerability and drive up borrowing costs.
Brussels insists the ‘ReArm’ plan is aimed at countering a “threat” from Russia, an idea Moscow has dismissed as baseless. It also comes amid growing pressure from Washington. US President Donald Trump has distanced himself from supporting Ukraine, while urging the EU to take greater responsibility for its own defense.
Which it should, but Ukraine is not part of the EU and should never be part of NATO. Why the EU would drive itself into colossal debt when recession is a likely result of Trump's trade policies, makes no sense whatsoever. They should have a really good reason - some reliable and shocking intel, for instance. But they don't!
