The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas firmly rejected claims from representatives of the American administration about the alleged decline of European civilization. At the Munich Security Conference, Kallas called the criticism from Washington "fashionable euro-bashing," while emphasizing that Russia is an economically ruined state. This statement was a direct riposte to the words of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the strategy of the Donald Trump administration.

Rejection of the collapse theory

Kaja Kallas considered American claims about the civilizational erasure of Europe to be baseless and called them fashionable euro-bashing, pointing to the growing number of candidates for EU accession.

Russia is not a great power

The EU's top diplomat indicated that the Russian economy is in pieces, and the army has suffered losses on the order of 1.2 million killed and wounded, gaining negligible territory since 2014.

Press freedom as an argument

Kallas countered the accusations of Marco Rubio by reminding that the United States occupies a distant 58th place in the press freedom ranking, while Baltic countries are at the top.

Antidote to imperialism

It was indicated that enlargement of the European Union is the most effective method to stop Russian imperialism and secure stability on NATO's eastern flank.

On the final day of the Munich Security Conference, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas delivered a firm speech defending the continent's condition. She addressed formulations about the "civilizational erasure" of Europe, which come from American politicians associated with the Republican Party. Kallas emphasized that Europe is neither "woke" nor decadent, and countries from around the world still aspire to membership in EU structures, which testifies to the strength and attractiveness of the European model. She expressed surprise that lectures about a lack of press freedom come from a country ranked 58th in the Reporters Without Borders index, while her native Estonia is in second place. The Munich Security Conference, held since 1963, is the world's most important forum for discussions on defense policy, bringing together heads of state, ministers, and experts without formal diplomatic protocols. A significant part of the address concerned Russia, which Kallas no longer views as a superpower. She added that after a decade of conflicts and four years of full-scale war, the aggressor's territorial gains are marginal compared to the losses incurred, estimated at 1.2 million casualties. The EU's top diplomat warned that the greatest threat now is a situation where Russia could gain more at the negotiating table than on the battlefield. As the only effective "antidote" to Russian imperialism, she pointed to further enlargement of the European Union. Estonia: 2, United States: 58 The head of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, supported Kallas, noting that the change in the U.S. attitude towards the Old Continent should be an impetus for deep reforms. Lagarde metaphorically compared the Trump administration's policy to a "kick in the pants" that forces Europe towards greater economic and defense self-reliance. Kallas concluded that although decision-making processes in Brussels can be slow, the direction of change aimed at protecting European values is clearly defined. „Contrary to what some say, a 'woke' and decadent Europe is not experiencing the erasure of its civilization. On the contrary, people still want to join our club.” — Kaja Kallas1.2 million — casualties on the Russian side estimated by Kaja Kallas

Mentioned People

  • Kaja Kallas — High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
  • Marco Rubio — United States Secretary of State in the Donald Trump administration.
  • Christine Lagarde — President of the European Central Bank, participant in the Munich panel.
  • Emmanuel Macron — President of France, mentioned in the context of EU reforms.