EU's Kallas says UN "not delivering," urges rules‑based order and stronger European defense

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas declared on Monday that the United Nations is “not delivering the way it should” and emphasized the need to advance international law together with countries that support a rules‑based order. Speaking at the Oslo Security Conference, Kallas acknowledged that many nations still rely on the international order for protection, but argued that accountability mechanisms remain weak despite the sound principles of the UN Charter.

Building a Coalition for a Rules‑Based Order

“We are in this situation where we have to really develop this international law further with those countries who want rules‑based order,” Kallas stated. Her remarks reflect growing European frustration with the UN’s effectiveness amid mounting global crises and the repeated blocking of Security Council action by major powers.

European Defense: Complementing NATO, Not Replacing It

Kallas also highlighted the importance of reducing strategic dependencies, noting that Europe learned “the hard way” that dependencies create vulnerability. While she called for stronger collective European defense capabilities, she firmly rejected the idea of a standalone European army separate from NATO. “If you are already part of NATO, you can’t create a separate army besides the army that you already have,” she explained, warning that dual command structures would be “extremely dangerous” in a crisis. Instead, she argued European defense efforts should be “complementary to NATO,” and stressed, “Let’s not throw NATO out the window.”

A Practical Approach to Security

Kallas pushed back against what she described as impractical calls for a European army, pointing to the real‑world challenges of budget allocation and chain of command. She urged EU defense ministers to think collectively, suggesting that a coordinated approach could “cover a bigger area” than fragmented national efforts. Her comments underscore the EU’s ongoing effort to balance strategic autonomy with its foundational reliance on the NATO alliance.