Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, has questioned the credibility of American criticism towards Europe, describing it as inappropriate during the final day of the Munich Security Conference on Sunday.
At the start of her speech, Kallas set the tone by rejecting claims that Europe is on the brink of losing its civilisation due to a supposed “woke” decline.
She pointed out that allegations against Europe are difficult to take seriously, citing press freedom criticism from the United States, which ranks 58th in global press freedom indices, compared to Estonia’s second place. According to Reporters Without Borders, the US now stands at 57th worldwide.
Her comments were in response to remarks made by US Senator Marco Rubio during his speech on Saturday. Rubio not only directed criticisms at Europe but also sought to appeal to American voters, noting that disparaging Europe has become popular despite its many contributions.
While critical of American rhetoric, Kallas acknowledged Rubio’s point that Europe and the US have been historically interconnected and remain so for the future. She emphasised this as an important aspect of transatlantic relations.
Kallas highlighted Europe’s global influence, stating that many nations respect its cherished values, including human rights and prosperity.
She also addressed Russia, stressing the need for strong negotiation tactics to extract concessions. According to Kallas, Russia must reduce its military size, pay reparations, and be held accountable for war crimes.
She underscored that Europe must be an active participant in these negotiations, arguing that the EU has leverage with sanctions and frozen assets that could shape the outcome.
Kallas shared a proverb from Estonia: “If you ask for much, you get little. If you ask for little, you get nothing. And if you ask for nothing, you end up paying for it.”
On the topic of Ukraine’s EU membership, Kallas refrained from speculating on a timeline, stating that member states are not yet ready for such a step.
