The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, canceled the launch of a new high-level group dedicated to European defense, after facing opposition from several member states. The body was planned to bring together former political and military leaders to reflect on the future of European defense, with the presentation scheduled for Monday at the Solvay Library in Brussels.
After discussions with ministers, it was decided not to proceed with the initiative. Several ministers expressed "strong concerns" to Kaja Kallas, contesting both the method and the content of the initiative. An Italian diplomat revealed that Italy "led the campaign" against the group, with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto being "very upset" that his predecessor, Roberta Pinotti, had been selected without his knowledge.
According to three diplomats heard by Politico, the commission was to be chaired by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and include former defense ministers such as Estonian Jüri Luik and Frenchwoman Florence Parly, as well as representatives from Germany, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Ukraine's operational experience in the war with Russia was expected to play a relevant role in this exercise.
The decision comes in a context of dispute over the future of the European External Action Service, with Kallas contesting Franco-German plans to reform the Union's diplomatic service. Some diplomats also warned that the group could overlap with the work of the European Commissioner for Defense, Andrius Kubilius. This retreat represents another setback for Kallas, who is seeking to strengthen the role of European diplomacy in security and defense matters.
