NATO Needs More European Leadership, EU Top Diplomat Warns
Europe must strengthen its defense capabilities and play a larger role in NATO as the United States shifts its strategic focus beyond the continent, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Wednesday in Brussels.
Speaking at a defense conference, Kallas stressed that while Europe remains committed to strong transatlantic ties, structural changes in U.S.-Europe relations mean the continent can no longer rely solely on Washington for its security. “No great power in history has outsourced its survival and survived,” she said, urging European nations to act with urgency.
Kallas highlighted that NATO remains the bedrock of European security, but the EU should take on a more prominent role within the alliance. “Especially now, as the US is setting its sights beyond Europe, NATO needs to become more European to maintain its strength,” she said.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions following former President Donald Trump’s controversial threat to seize Greenland from Denmark, which rattled European allies and reinforced calls for Europe to increase self-reliance.
European countries have already ramped up defense spending since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and agreed last year to significantly increase NATO’s collective spending target. Meanwhile, Washington has urged Europe to assume more responsibility for conventional defense as the U.S. prioritizes other global threats such as China.
Kallas warned of the risk of a return to coercive power politics and called for Europe to acknowledge the permanence of these geopolitical shifts and respond decisively.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte cautioned EU lawmakers against believing Europe could fully defend itself without U.S. support, warning that attempts to replace the American nuclear umbrella could play into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hands. He encouraged Europe to leverage its traditional strengths, including funding and regulatory support, to grow its defense industry.
