Beyza Binnur Donmez
28 January 2026•Update: 28 January 2026
GENEVA
The EU must urgently strengthen its defense capabilities as security threats deepen and the transatlantic relationship undergoes a structural shift, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the annual conference of the European Defense Agency, Kallas warned that Europe is "dangerously close to the third bell," using a metaphor of school bells to suggest that the window for action is rapidly closing and that failure to act would have serious consequences.
She cited Russia's war in Ukraine, cyberattacks, sabotage of critical infrastructure, foreign interference and military intimidation as persistent and long-term threats to European security.
Kallas said the EU can no longer rely on others for its defense, noting that Europe is no longer Washington’s "primary center of gravity." While stressing that the US remains a key partner, she said the shift across the Atlantic is structural and requires Europe to step up.
She identified four priority areas for urgent action: defense capabilities, the defense industry, partnerships and decision-making. Europe, she said, must overcome fragmentation, invest jointly, and ensure that rising defense spending delivers effective and timely capabilities.
She also urged European industry to rapidly scale up production and warned that failure to do so would see defense funds flow outside the EU.
Kallas said the EU must support Ukraine with €60 billion (over $70 billion) in military aid in 2026 and 2027 and ensure weapons deliveries are accelerated. She also called for closer coordination with NATO, arguing that NATO needs to become "more European" as the global security environment shifts.
On decision-making, she warned that unanimity can no longer slow urgent action and urged discussion on expanding qualified majority voting in EU foreign and security policy.
