Head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas, speaking on February 15 at the Munich Security Conference, reacted to Marco Rubio's speech yesterday and ironically dismissed the widespread thesis in certain political circles that "declining Europe" is allegedly on the verge of civilizational extinction. This is reported by UNN with reference to the live broadcast from the event.
The diplomat emphasized that such assessments do not correspond to reality. According to her, the European Union not only maintains internal stability but also remains a powerful center of attraction for other states.
Not only countries of the continent but also partners outside Europe, including Canada, seek to join the European club, which indicates the preservation of the EU's political and value attractiveness
At the same time, the head of European diplomacy emphasized that despite the internal strength of the European Union, security challenges remain serious. She named Russia as the main source of threat.
According to Kallas, the war began in Ukraine, but the Kremlin's strategic ambitions are not limited to Donbas or even Ukrainian territory in general. She drew attention to Moscow's systemic attempts to destabilize the situation in EU countries through political pressure, information operations, cyberattacks, and other tools of influence aimed at undermining unity and trust within the Union.
Assessing the real state of Russia, Kallas stated that it cannot be considered a superpower. She emphasized that after more than ten years of armed conflict against Ukraine, including four years of full-scale war, Russia has effectively not achieved a strategic breakthrough and has only slightly advanced beyond the positions it held in 2014. The price of this, according to her, is approximately 1.2 million casualties.
Kallas characterized Russia as a state in a state of systemic weakening: the economy has suffered serious blows, the country has lost access to European energy markets, and some citizens are leaving its territory.
Despite this, the diplomat warned that underestimating Moscow is dangerous. In her opinion, the greatest risk lies not only in the military sphere but also in the diplomatic one. There is a threat that Russia may gain more political dividends at the negotiating table than it was able to win on the battlefield. That is why, according to her logic, supporting Ukraine and maintaining Western unity remain key elements of the EU's security strategy.
We remind you that the day before, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference called for a reboot of the US-Europe alliance and voiced demands.