EU Foreign Policy Chief Warns: Trump Aims to Divide Europe

Trump and Putin share a common goal of a divided EU, which would make it easier for them to pressure EU member states economically and militarily.

"They don’t like us standing together because, when we stand together, we are an equal power," says EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas about the U.S.

Trump Administration 'Wants to Weaken Europe'

This is the warning from the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas:

"What is important for everyone to understand is that the U.S. has made it very clear that they want to divide Europe. They don’t like the European Union."

Not only does the U.S. dislike EU cooperation, but it is actively working to split the EU, using "the same tactics as our adversaries," according to Kallas. The warning that the U.S. is actively working to divide the EU comes from the EU’s foreign policy chief herself. In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, Kaja Kallas, the head of EU foreign policy and former Estonian prime minister, is very clear in her statements.

Today, EU countries find themselves in a situation where some of the world’s largest actors—militarily and economically—are actively working to divide EU cooperation. The explanation is simple: Both Trump and Putin believe a divided EU would be in their interest. A divided EU would not be able to resist pressure from the U.S., Russia, or China:

"They don’t like us standing together because, when we stand together, we are an equal power," Kaja Kallas tells the Financial Times.

Therefore, both the U.S. and Russia are actively working to undermine unity within the EU.

Putin Involved in Hungary’s Political Game

Four days ago, the Financial Times revealed how the Putin regime in Moscow has launched a disinformation campaign to help Hungary’s embattled Prime Minister Viktor Orbán win the election on April 12. President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Secretary of State Rubio have repeatedly supported political leaders like Hungary’s Orbán, Slovakia’s Fico, and Poland’s President Nawrocki, all of whom actively work to block and prevent important EU decisions.

Orbán is currently blocking a vital EU loan to Ukraine—money that Ukraine desperately needs, as the U.S. has halted all economic aid to the war-torn country. This benefits President Putin and his war in Ukraine.

Poland’s President Nawrocki has just blocked a major EU loan to Poland, funds intended to strengthen the Polish military. Nawrocki does not want EU countries to collectively engage in economic support aimed at both improving European defense and the European defense industry—a concession to Trump and the U.S., which wants Europe to arm itself but by purchasing military equipment from the U.S.

Since Russia is struggling to win militarily in Ukraine, it is actively working to create division in Europe regarding support for Ukraine. After President Trump halted U.S. economic aid to Ukraine, Ukraine is now entirely dependent on EU support, both economically and in terms of military equipment. If Europe’s economic and military support for Ukraine decreases, it increases Russia’s chances of winning the war on the battlefield.

EU Must Adopt New Laws to Resist U.S. Economic Pressure

The European Parliament is one of the places where both the U.S. and Russia collaborate with parties that, in various ways, work to create division in the EU and, for example, question European support for Ukraine. This was evident on Monday when the political group Patriots for Europe attempted to change the agenda of the European Parliament’s meeting to include a formal discussion on "President Zelenskyy’s unacceptable threats against Hungary’s sovereignty and its prime minister."

Patriots for Europe includes Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party from the Netherlands, and the Danish People’s Party, whose MEP and Folketing candidate Anders Vistisen holds a leadership position in Patriots for Europe.

If the EU is to resist economic pressure from the U.S., it requires the adoption of a series of new EU laws. The European Commission is expected to present a major initiative this week aimed at ensuring a stronger EU that can resist economic pressure from countries like the U.S. and China in the future. Trump, Putin, and Xi all have an interest in stopping this legislation, as it would make the EU less effective. Therefore, the U.S., Russia, and China have an interest in supporting political parties that will prevent and limit new EU initiatives, for example, by arguing that it would give more power to the EU and to Brussels.

Major Task for New Danish Government

While the U.S. and Russia actively work to weaken EU cooperation and create division between and within EU countries, political leaders from leading EU countries are now purposefully working on a response. According to Kaja Kallas, there is a need for EU countries to strengthen cooperation as quickly as possible to withstand pressure from Europe’s "adversaries."

Both Russia, China, and the U.S. have declared their goal of dividing EU cooperation. The new security policy situation will be a major task for Denmark’s next government. Work on setting a new course for EU cooperation is in full swing and moving at express speed. This means that a future Danish government will have to handle the biggest change in EU cooperation since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The work is already in full swing, and both Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will feel its impact this week. On Monday, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen will attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels. The first item on the agenda is work on a new security policy strategy for the EU.

The old world, where the U.S. and Europe formed a common alliance for a rules-based world order, is dead. The U.S. ignores and breaks international rules. In such a world, the EU, in the words of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, must be able to exercise power. Therefore, the EU needs a new security policy strategy. This work has begun, and Denmark’s next government and parliament will help formulate what becomes the EU’s new security policy strategy.

Looking at the statements made so far, developments point toward a future EU that not only can stand on its own but also exercise power over the rest of the world—economically and militarily.

Much at Stake at Upcoming Summit

When Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen attends the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, she and other EU leaders will not only have to address the dramatic situation in the Middle East and future European support for Ukraine. Macron, Merz, Mette Frederiksen, and other EU leaders must also try to find a way forward for EU cooperation in a world where major state actors like the U.S. and Russia are actively trying to undermine it.

Looking at the draft conclusions from the summit, they say a lot about how much the world has changed and what is at stake for EU cooperation. EU leaders are expected, among other things, to call on "the Commission to take initiatives to protect key sectors from unfair competition and proactively address economic coercion."

This sentence from the draft summit conclusions says everything about the situation in which EU cooperation finds itself. The U.S. and Russia are actively working to create division within the EU. They want parliaments and governments where EU-skeptical parties play a prominent role. This would make it easier for countries like the U.S., Russia, and China to exert economic pressure on Europe.

A weak EU is one where the U.S. can pressure car manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies to move production from Europe to the U.S. China can pressure the EU to keep the market open for state-subsidized Chinese wind turbine and solar panel manufacturers, allowing them to outcompete their European clean tech companies. And a weak EU is one that limits support for Ukraine, allowing President Putin to achieve his desired victories on the battlefield.

EU Cooperation at a Decisive Moment in History

The pressure to weaken and dismantle EU cooperation is enormous. The pressure to strengthen EU cooperation is also enormous. Where EU cooperation will move is unclear. It will be determined, among other things, by a series of national elections in the coming years. The only certainty is that the status quo is not an option. Major changes for the EU and its member states lie ahead.