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"Europe must act urgently"/ Kallas: It must improve defense

2026-01-28 18:01:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"Europe must act urgently"/ Kallas: It must improve defense

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has warned that Europe must take urgent steps to strengthen its defense and make NATO more European, at a time when transatlantic relations with the United States have been significantly shaken.

Speaking at a defense conference, Kallas said the US would remain a partner and ally of Europe, but stressed that no great power has ever ensured its survival by relying entirely on others.

According to her, under the administration of President Donald Trump, Europe is no longer the main center of Washington's attention and this change is structural, not temporary.

Tensions between the US and Europe escalated after Trump's statements about taking over Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, as well as threats to impose tariffs on European allies.

Kallas's statements come after comments by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said that Europeans "must keep dreaming" if they think they can defend themselves without the US. These comments were strongly opposed by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who stressed that Europe can and should take control of its security through a European pillar of NATO.

Meanwhile, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said the US expects Europeans to take more responsibility for the continent's defense as the US presence in Europe is set to shrink. He described Europe as a "sleeping giant" that must wake up and build its defense independence without delay.

Last year, NATO member states pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, while Rutte warned that a fully independent Europe would require even higher spending and nuclear capabilities.

In the background of these developments remains the war in Ukraine and the clash with Russia, which continues to see NATO expansion as a threat. Although NATO membership is part of Ukraine's constitution, the chances of Kiev quickly joining the alliance are considered small./ CNA





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