BRUSSELS, March 26. /TASS/. Some European officials are criticizing EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas for her hostile statements against Russia, Politico reports.
The Estonian politician began raising concerns immediately after taking office late last year. During a visit to Kiev, she wrote on her X page that "the EU wants Ukraine to win this war." Some EU officials were "uncomfortable" with Kallas, as she had been in office for less than a day at the time and used phrases that went beyond the EU-approved language on the issue.
Spain and Italy are among those opposing Kallas's statements, as they do not consider Moscow to be an "imminent threat" to the EU. "If you listen to her, it seems we are at war with Russia, which is not the EU line," an unnamed EU official noted.
Another complaint against Kallas is that she is "acting like a prime minister," according to an EU diplomat. Critics argue that her foreign policy initiatives are insufficiently elaborated and that she does not conduct prior consultations to gain support. For example, when reacting to US Vice President J.D. Vance's statements, who said in February that Washington was more concerned about the EU's internal problems than Russia, Kallas released a two-page letter to EU member states urging them to compensate for the expected cessation of US military aid to Kiev.
In the document, Kallas asked member nations to secure at least 1.5 million artillery shells for Ukraine, with each country's contribution to be proportional to their economy. According to the newspaper, this would mean that larger countries would have to provide more shells, which was perceived as "coercion" in some EU capitals. As a result, Kallas was forced to revise her plan, conceding that the allocation of €5 billion for the purchase of shells might have been the first step in increasing aid to Kiev.
However, some EU members continue to support Kallas's policy, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the newspaper reported. The European External Action Service, which Kallas heads, has shown no concern about the criticism, noting that the Estonian politician was deliberately chosen for the position "not to moderate quietly and find the lowest common denominator but to push things forward." Another EU diplomat added that, overall, the community favors Kallas's actions.