Kaja Kalas, a candidate for the highest diplomatic position in the European Union for the next five years, warned yesterday that one should not make assumptions about what the elected US President Donald Trump will do regarding Ukraine and pointed out that isolationism has never benefited the United States.
Kalas, the former prime minister of Estonia, said at a hearing before the European Parliament (EP) Committee on Foreign Affairs that she thinks no one knows yet what Trump will decide about the war in Ukraine.
After one lawmaker said Trump could end US military support for Kiev and quoted Vice President-elect JD Vance as saying parts of Ukraine could remain under Russian control as part of a peace deal, Callas indirectly warned of the dangers of isolationism.
"If we look at history, isolationism has never been good for America," Callas said.
Like many European leaders in recent days, she sought to make the case for continued US support for Ukraine by linking the war to Trump's concerns about the rise of China. She said that Russia could not have waged such a strong war without Chinese support, Reuters reported.
"If America is worried about China, it should be worried about Russia first," Kalas said.
Trump, who will take office in January, has repeatedly criticized the extent of US aid to Ukraine and announced that he would quickly end the war. His election victory last week raised new questions about the future of Western aid to Kiev and put pressure on European capitals to prepare for a scenario in which Washington cuts aid to Ukraine.
Kalas stated that the Western Balkans is a very important region and that the EU acts towards it on two tracks, namely the expansion and the process of normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
Callas, who will soon succeed Josep Borrell, said Europe should emphasize the ties between Russia, Iran, North Korea and China in talks with its allies.
She also pointed out that there will be consequences in other places in the world if it is considered that Russia profited from the invasion of Ukraine.
"If aggression pays off somewhere, it serves as an invitation to use it elsewhere - that's our concern," she said.
The Russian invasion and uncertainty over future US support for European security have also put pressure on the continent's leaders to do more on defense. Kalas emphasized that she strongly supports those efforts.
"It's clear that we have to do more: produce more defense capabilities, ammunition," Kalas said.
However, she believes that NATO must continue to play a leading role in European defense, with EU support in areas such as increasing arms production.
"I don't think the European Union needs separate military powers," Kalas said.
She said that she sees "synergy" between NATO and the EU "so that NATO prepares military plans, while the European Union and the member states really focus on how these munitions and capacities are fulfilled."
Kalas stated that the Western Balkans is a very important region and that the EU acts towards it on two tracks, namely the expansion and the process of normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, Beta reported.
She advocated for Ukraine to join the EU and emphasized that the expansion to neighboring countries is a geostrategic investment that is in the interest of the EU itself.
"We need to work with the enlargement commissioner and have success stories during these five years, in terms of enlargement, because of prosperity, but also because of giving hope to the entire region," said the 47-year-old Kalas.
Answering questions from deputies at the very end of the three-hour hearing, Kalas assessed that EU enlargement should not be a process where everyone is in or everyone is out.
"We have to have a merit-based approach with each individual country and see what we can do," said Kalas and announced a visit to the Western Balkans in the first part of her mandate.
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