[Text/Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] "Every morning when you wake up, you think, 'Can I dare to (check my phone)? Can I? Okay, what crazy thing has happened now?' It's madness," Kaja Kallas, who had been the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for less than five months, said while mimicking the exaggerated gesture of checking her phone during an interview.

According to AFP's report on the 23rd, Kallas bluntly stated that US President Trump's disruption of the global order made her term begin like riding a roller coaster.

The report noted that this highest EU diplomat has always advocated for a strong NATO organization and close relations between Europe and the United States. However, Trump overturned all this in just a few short months. He reversed America's support for Kyiv, drew closer to Moscow, and undermined the Western alliance that had supported European security for decades.

"It's like, you break a vase, you can glue it back together, but it's no longer the same vase," Kallas said in her office on the 12th floor of the European Commission headquarters, expressing deep understanding, "You can put it back together, but trust has been broken and it can't be restored."

The report pointed out that as the world quickly adapted to the turmoil stirred by Trump, Kallas also had to rapidly adjust her role.

The report noted that the new US administration openly opposed the EU and marginalized it in efforts to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

In late February, Secretary of State Rubio canceled his meeting with Kallas at the last minute. On the US Department of State's website, Kallas was not included in Rubio's public schedule that day. An EU diplomat commented, "The Trump administration seems to miss no opportunity to show that, for them, the EU is not a participant."

Video screenshot of Kallas

Meanwhile, Europe is gradually splitting into small groups led by major countries such as France and the UK. Kallas recognized the role of the "volunteer coalition" aimed at providing security guarantees for Ukraine, but she also worried that the EU was not fully utilizing its potential strength.

"Our opponents do not like the EU because when we act together, we become powerful. But if we unite, we are equal forces, and there is a difference. This way, we can have equal dialogue," Kallas said.

According to reports, Kallas once proposed providing up to 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine within a year, with each country contributing according to its economic scale, but faced resistance from some countries. She then reduced the plan to 2 million shells worth 500 million euros, and she claimed that two-thirds of it have been completed.

"The most frustrating part is the trivial disputes among EU institutions," Kallas said, emphasizing that the focus now should be on solving problems rather than seeking credit.

She believed that the headache-inducing changes brought by Trump also benefited her work. She was striving to enhance Europe's influence, and some Asian, African, and Latin American countries were moving closer to Europe. "Everyone is paying attention to Europe because we are credible, reliable, and predictable partners. This is actually an opportunity for us to develop geopolitical power."

The report noted that Kallas was pushing for greater flexibility in the EU's foreign affairs department and cited successful examples, such as withstanding US pressure to gain majority member state support for the UN resolution related to Ukraine.

"This is difficult to handle, but you must be very flexible, ready to act, and willing to change your mindset at any time."

At 47 years old, Kallas became the Vice-President of the European Commission and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy last December. She is the only one who has ever served as a national leader. From 2021 to 2024, Kallas served as the Prime Minister of Estonia. The position of the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is often referred to as "almost an impossible task."

The report noted that the 27 member states still formulate their own foreign policies, which sometimes conflict, and this position lacks mandatory coordination powers.

A diplomat who wished to remain anonymous said, "Member states don't want her to set the tone or lead; they just want her to be an administrator. Therefore, whoever holds this position will face criticism."

Another senior diplomat commented, "She tends to be dogmatic, stubborn, seeing the trees but not the forest."

When asked if future work would involve "impossible tasks," she responded, "I will do my best. It is undoubtedly full of challenges, but come ask me again after 55 months (when my term ends)."

Early this month (April 2nd), Trump announced so-called "reciprocal tariffs" against the EU at a rate of 20%. A week later, with the financial market collapse, Trump suspended the tariff increase to 10% for 90 days. In addition, the EU also faces US tariffs of 25% on steel, aluminum, and cars.

Subsequently, the EU accelerated negotiations with the US, but until today, there has been no significant progress. Bloomberg recently cited sources saying that the EU is drafting a proposal to implement export restrictions on certain goods to the US as a potential retaliatory measure against Trump's initiation of a large-scale trade war.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

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