"Europe underestimates its own strength". Callas reacts to the new US national security strategy

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kallas believes that Europe underestimates its strength, in particular with regard to Russia. The diplomat expressed this opinion at a forum in Doha, the newspaper Politico.

Callas downplayed the significance of the new harsh assessment by the US administration of Donald Trump in Europe, even hinting that some of her criticisms were true.

"Europe underestimates its own strength in relation to Russia, for example. We need to be more confident, that's for sure," the official emphasized.

The Trump administration criticized European governments in its new national security strategy, which the White House released the day before.

Kallas noted that the document refers to Europe's "lack of self-confidence" in its relations with Russia.

The moderator of the discussion, CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, asked whether Trump and his aides now consider Europe an "enemy."

"That's not how I understood it," the diplomat said, emphasizing elements of Trump's document that recognized the importance of transatlantic relations.

"The US is still our biggest ally. We have not always had a common opinion on various issues. But the general principle remains the same: we are the greatest allies, and we must stand together," she continued.

• On December 5, it was reported that in updated strategy, Washington considers the cessation of hostilities in Russia's war against Ukraine to be its most important interest in Europe. At the same time, it does not call Russia the aggressor.
• Bloomberg's analysis says that Trump's new strategy criticizes US allies, not enemies. In particular, it does not mention the DPRK and Venezuela.