EU Foreign Policy Chief to Trump Administration's 'Europe Criticism': "U.S. Remains Our Biggest Ally"

AFP reported that the European Union’s top diplomat appeared to refrain from directly countering the new U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS), which contains criticism of Europe.

Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was asked about the NSS announced the previous day during the Doha Forum, a diplomatic conference held in Qatar on the 6th (local time). She responded, “Of course, there is a lot of criticism, but I think some of it is true.”

Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Photo by Yonhap News

High Representative Kallas emphasized, “The United States remains our biggest ally. While we have not always agreed on every issue, I believe the overall principles still stand. We are the biggest allies and we need to stand together.”

In the new NSS released on the 5th, the U.S. government pointed out that Europe, its long-standing ally, is facing a ‘civilizational extinction’ crisis. The report claimed that Europe’s identity has been undermined by open immigration policies and excessive regulation, and that its presence in the international community has diminished to an ‘unrecognizable’ level. It argued that the United States should lead Europe to ‘correct its current trajectory.’

This led to backlash across Europe, with some criticizing the report as interference in internal affairs. In contrast, Kallas, who oversees EU foreign policy, chose restrained language over an emotional response, opting not to provoke the Trump administration.

At the same time, during the event, Kallas countered the U.S. perspective presented in the NSS by stating, “Europe has underestimated its own strength. For example, when it comes to Russia, we should be more confident.”