Urgent Call for European Defence Independence Amidst US Tensions

Sat Jan 31 2026 13:59:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasizes the need for Europe to take charge of its own defense strategies as relations with the US grow increasingly strained.

At a recent defence conference, Kaja Kallas urged Europe to urgently enhance its defence capabilities, arguing that the continent must not depend on the US for survival. As tensions flared between the US and European nations, particularly following controversial actions by former President Trump regarding Greenland, Kallas indicated that Europe needs to reevaluate its security culture and act collectively. This call to action is echoed by other EU leaders, highlighting a shift toward a more autonomous European defence posture within NATO.

Europe must step up urgently to improve its defence and make Nato 'more European to maintain its strength', because the US has shaken the transatlantic relationship to its foundation, the EU's foreign policy chief has warned.

The US would continue to be Europe's partner and ally, Kaja Kallas told a defence conference, but no great power had ever 'outsourced its survival and survived'.

Tensions with the US flared when President Donald Trump threatened to take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. Kallas's remarks came after Nato leader Mark Rutte prompted a backlash when he said European lawmakers should 'keep on dreaming' if they thought Europe could defend itself without the US.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot reacted to the secretary general's comments saying: 'No, dear Mark Rutte. Europeans can and must take control of their security. Even the United States agrees. It's the European pillar of Nato.'

Kallas stated that under the Trump administration Europe was 'no longer Washington's primary centre of gravity', urging a shift from national-focused to a more collective European defence strategy. According to Kallas, the recent US-European rift over Greenland highlights a 'tectonic shift' in the relationship.

Leaders across Europe are calling for a distinct European defence pillar that adds value and reinforces the notion that Europe must rapidly build independence from the US for its security.