On Sunday, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas was forced by pressure from EU member states to cancel the creation of a new high-level defense group that would have included former political and military leaders. Politico reports, UNN writes.
Details
It is noted that the high-level group, which Kallas described as a gathering of the "brightest minds" to develop ideas for closing gaps in EU defense "in the shortest possible time and in the most effective manner," was viewed by some diplomats as part of the resistance to reforming the EU’s foreign policy service. Kallas is engaged in a fierce battle with the European Commission over these plans, but according to one EU official, pressure from some capitals led to the initiative’s cancellation.
Some member states believed that this was not the path to take at this point. After discussing it with the ministers, we decided not to pursue this initiative; we are now looking for new ways to engage with the member states
The presentation was due to take place in Brussels on Monday morning. Around 150 people from EU institutions, think tanks, academia and NATO were expected to attend.
Kallas’s office kept the names of the group’s members secret, but according to three diplomats, it was expected to be headed by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, with former defense ministers also joining.
The publication emphasizes that from the outset, some diplomats warned of a high risk that the new group’s activities would duplicate the work of the European Commission, in particular that of European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius, who already holds regular meetings with think tanks and former leaders.
According to some diplomats, one of the main reasons for canceling the event was the lack of proper preparatory work and coordination with individual capitals.
At the same time, another EU official noted that the trigger for the cancellation was a problem in Italian domestic politics, specifically a dispute over potential candidates for the group.
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