Key Information
- The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, denies rumors of power struggle with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and emphasizes their collaboration.
- Overlapping roles within the European Union structure sometimes create tensions, but Kallas sees them as opportunities for optimization and efficiency.
- Kallas defends NATO against criticism from President Donald Trump, highlighting the importance of unity and the need to avoid rhetoric that would benefit adversaries.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief, responded to rumors of a power struggle with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Dismissing talk of rivalry as mere speculation, Kallas emphasized their friendly working relationship.
“Who doesn’t love a good story about a dispute between women?” joked Kallas in an interview with the Estonian public channel ERR.
Tensions
She acknowledged that their roles sometimes overlap. Indeed, she is both a Vice President of the Commission and the President of the EU Foreign Ministers’ Council. This hybrid structure has led to occasional tensions, primarily around the creation of an intelligence unit within the Commission. This unit mirrors the existing capabilities within Kallas’s European External Action Service. Kallas advocates for eliminating duplication and promoting efficiency within the EU.
While acknowledging “institutional tensions” upfront, Kallas presented them as a matter of optimizing EU operations rather than personal rivalry. Furthermore, she underscored the importance of European unity, noting that citizens view the EU as a single entity.
Trump Criticisms of NATO
In a different context, Ms. Kallas refuted President Trump’s characterization of NATO as “weak” due to its inaction in the Strait of Hormuz during a television interview. She pointed out that no official request for NATO intervention had been made. Moreover, she also cautioned against polarizing statements like those from President Trump, which could benefit adversaries like Russia.
(jw)
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