Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, emphasized on Saturday that European nations are increasing their defense spending, influenced by former President Donald Trump’s push. She urged for stronger relationships among allies to effectively counterbalance China’s economic power.
Kallas made these remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense forum in Singapore, responding to comments made by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who characterized Trump’s insistence on higher military expenditure as “tough love.”
When asked about Hegseth’s speech, Kallas joked, “Well, at least it’s love, so that’s better than no love.”
She reaffirmed that the ties between Brussels and Washington have never been severed, mentioning her conversation with Hegseth.
“You heard his address. He was quite positive regarding Europe, so there is certainly some affection there,” she added.
Trump has consistently pressured NATO members to hike their defense budgets to reach 5% of their GDP, warning that the U.S. will no longer tolerate free-riders.
Kallas noted, “Different countries within Europe have recognized for some time the need to invest in defense,” pointing out a reevaluation of the European model as a “peace project supported by robust defense.”
She highlighted, “It’s important to stress that the security of Europe and the security of the Pacific are highly interconnected.”
Using Ukraine as an example, Kallas remarked that North Korean soldiers are fighting there while China is supplying military equipment to Russia, its adversary.
“There were very strong messages in the U.S. Secretary of Defense’s speech regarding China,” she stated, adding, “Once again, if you are concerned about China, you should be equally worried about Russia.”
Kallas disagreed with the notion that Washington is focusing only on the Indo-Pacific region while Europe tends to its own matters.
She added that the only way to combat China’s economic dominance is through collaboration with like-minded partners such as the U.S., the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.