European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas has voiced deep concerns regarding a potential reshaping of the global order by China, Russia, Belarus and North Korea.
Speaking to the German “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” Kallas stated she is observing a significant shift in the international landscape that is cause for serious worry. She highlighted the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, listing the member states – China, Russia, North Korea and Belarus – as examples of countries seeking a return to an order governed by power and coercion.
Kallas outlined Europe’s response as requiring increased speed and unity in decision-making. She argued that a cohesive EU can effectively safeguard its interests through a combined approach of incentives and consequences. Collaboration with Europe, she suggested, would yield benefits such as access to European funding, while a lack of cooperation would entail associated costs.
Furthermore, Kallas cautioned against prematurely dismissing the rules-based international order. She stressed a global desire for the EU to actively defend this framework, particularly among smaller nations who rely on predictable and binding regulations. She emphasized that Europe is being closely watched as a champion of freedom, democracy and free trade, adding that it is not alone in this endeavor.