European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas issued a stark warning on Sunday, asserting that the Trump administration harbors a distinct dislike for a unified European Union. Speaking at the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia, Kallas urged EU member states to remain united and avoid striking bilateral agreements with the United States, arguing that such moves would only weaken the bloc’s geopolitical standing.
Kallas emphasized that Washington’s aversion to the EU stems from the bloc’s collective strength. “They don’t like the European Union, that’s very clear,” Kallas stated. “But we need to understand why they don’t like the EU; why China doesn’t like the EU, why Russia doesn’t. It is because if we stick together, if we operate together, then we are equal powers, we are strong”.
According to Kallas, it is “obviously easier” for global powers to negotiate with individual, smaller countries rather than facing a unified bloc capable of acting as an equal power. She characterized rhetoric such as “my relations with you are great, but I don’t like the European Union” as a calculated “divide-and-conquer” strategy aimed at fracturing European unity.
“I’m very worried, because I sometimes also see countries going down that lane,” Kallas admitted, adding, “The dividing is actually working”.
This concern is not unfounded. Following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, several EU nations have attempted to maintain their own independent channels of communication with Washington. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, for instance, sought to position herself as a potential bridge between Europe and the U.S. However, this strategy faltered recently following Trump’s public criticism of Pope Leo XIV.
Kallas implored EU countries to defend the European Union and negotiate agreements collectively through the bloc’s institutions. Reiterating her point regarding the U.S., China, and Russia, she said: “Why these powers want to dismantle the European Union is because we are much stronger when we are together.”
Beyond the transatlantic relationship, Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, also addressed the EU’s complex economic relationship with China. She noted that while Europe has “a very clear understanding of the diagnosis of the disease” regarding China’s trade practices, the bloc has not yet reached an agreement on the appropriate “cure”.
Kallas presented two stark choices for the EU’s economic future. The first option is to increase the “morphine”—a metaphor for the subsidies that EU countries are currently handing out to their domestic industries to keep them competitive. The second option is to begin “chemotherapy,” which involves using the economic tools the EU has at its disposal. These tools include scrutinizing foreign direct investment, leveraging public procurement, and diversifying the supply chain for critical raw materials.
She acknowledged the difficulty of implementing these harsher measures. “It will be painful to use the tools … because then there’s going to be retaliation,” Kallas warned. “We are not there yet, and I’m worried that eventually also the rich countries will run out of taxpayers’ money to subsidize, and we haven’t dealt with the underlying problem”.
Kallas’s remarks at the Lennart Meri Conference underscore the growing anxieties within the European Union regarding its position on the global stage. As the bloc navigates shifting dynamics with the United States under the Trump administration and economic challenges posed by China, the call for unity remains a central theme for EU leadership.
