© EPA-EFE/OLIVIER MATTHYS The transatlantic bond has endured the impact, but Europe will prioritize cohesion and assistance to Ukraine.
The transatlantic bond faced strain this past week, but the European Union is resolved to stay unified, as any conflicts among partners merely aid their rivals, stated EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaia Kallas, before a casual meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.
She remarked that following the recent declarations by US President Donald Trump – specifically, concerning the choice to avoid implementing levies against Europe and the potential use of force against Greenland – there was a noticeable sense of relief among the allies. Simultaneously, according to Kallas, this year has unequivocally showcased the elevated degree of unpredictability for which Europe must be equipped.
“The term of the year is unpredictability, and that's precisely what we're currently undergoing,” she underlined.
As per Kallas, Russia's aggression against Ukraine persists as a paramount challenge for Europe. She urged a concentration on tangible measures to cease it.
“We must center on genuinely halting this conflict. We have observed numerous diplomatic endeavors and efforts to attain peace, yet exclusively from one faction. There have been no compromises from the Russian side – conversely, they have escalated assaults on the civilian populace and civilian facilities,” the EU representative emphasized.
Kallas further cautioned that any disagreements between partners only advantage the adversaries, who, she conveyed, “delight in witnessing the deterioration of Western solidarity.”
“Transatlantic affairs have indeed sustained a significant setback in the past week. Yet, concurrently, we already grasp that these affairs are not what they formerly were. From the European perspective, we do not wish to abandon 80 years of alliance and stand prepared to operate to maintain it,” Kallas noted.
She highlighted that the European Union needs to communicate a distinct signal of fortitude grounded in internal cohesion.
“When we stand prepared to act and safeguard our principles and interests, that constitutes the signal – both to our partners and to our adversaries,” she concluded prior to the assembly in Brussels.