Kallas’s rallying cry was the latest in a slew of increasingly alarming warnings on defence from European officials, who have been calling for a “wake-up call” on defence since Moscow’s tanks rolled into Ukraine in 2022.
“President Trump is right to say that we don’t spend enough. It’s time to invest,“ Kallas said in a keynote speech at a conference in Brussels. “The United States, they are our strongest ally, and must remain so.”
EU countries have increased their military budgets since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Russia poses an existential threat to our security today, tomorrow and for as long as we under-invest in our defence,“ said Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia.
‘Language of strength’
“There is absolutely no doubt that we can do more to help Ukraine. With our help, they can also win the war,“ she said.
Trump has sparked fears in Europe that he could force Kyiv into painful concessions in search of a quick deal with Moscow to end the conflict.
“Ukraine’s security against Russia is security for us all.”
So far the EU and its international partners have used the interest on the money to give Kyiv a $50 billion loan, but they have refused to touch the main assets.
“We need a mutually beneficial relationship on security and defence,“ Kallas said. “A new agreement on this is a logical next step.”
Last month, NATO chief Mark Rutte said Europe must “turbo-charge” defence spending and production if it is to deter Russia from launching a bigger war in the future.
Despite a raft of existing initiatives, officials admit the EU has so far struggled to turn the rhetoric into reality and step up to the scale of the threat.
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