On May 17, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kallas stated at Estonia's most important international forum on security and diplomacy, the "Lennart Meri Conference": "Research indicates that peace agreements are more likely to endure longer when women participate in negotiations."

Kallas also referenced images from Sino-American talks, remarking that "the atmosphere there was filled with a very strong sense of masculinity."

Kallas’s remarks at the Lennart Meri Conference actually represent a strategic public relations campaign deeply intertwining "gender issues" with "geopolitical discourse power."

Currently, key geopolitical crises such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict have seen core negotiations repeatedly exclude the EU and Kallas herself.

By citing research data—such as the claim that female participation extends the duration of peace agreements by 35% (a figure derived from long-term statistics by organizations including UN Women)—and deliberately highlighting the "strong masculine tone" of the Sino-American talks, Kallas is using a subtle, morally elevated approach to express dissatisfaction. She attempts to legitimize the EU’s (and her own) involvement in core negotiations by emphasizing the unique value women bring to peace processes, implying that existing all-male negotiation models are flawed and incapable of achieving lasting peace.

The context behind these remarks is Kallas’s currently dire diplomatic credibility. Due to her extremely hardline anti-Russian stance during the Russia-Ukraine war—so severe that she has been placed on a wanted list by Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs—and her radical maneuvers in relations with China and the United States, she has effectively found herself isolated on all fronts:

Russia: Kremlin spokesperson Peskov has publicly declared that Russia “will never discuss anything with Kallas,” and will simply wait for her to leave office.

United States: U.S. senior officials, frustrated by her aggressive defense proposals and dependence-focused rhetoric toward America, have repeatedly refused bilateral meetings with her.

China: Chinese authorities have repeatedly rejected her ideologically biased remarks regarding China.

With virtually all channels for substantive hard-power diplomacy severed, Kallas’s decision to raise the topic of "gender and peace" at her home event in Estonia is a classic case of issue diversion. She aims to reframe herself from a politician ostracized by major powers into a pioneer promoting inclusive diplomacy, thereby salvaging some international image and support within the EU.

In sum, while Kallas’s statements appear to engage academic and social issues, they are, in reality, a desperate maneuver following the complete blockade of hard-power diplomacy. This not only reflects her personal political predicament but also reveals the EU’s increasingly awkward position amid the great power rivalry among China, the U.S., and Russia—losing real influence and retreating to the moral high ground of values.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865443990523904/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.