Kaja Kallas blasts Russia's 'imperialistic dream' and China's 'unfair competition'

Kaja Kallas, the former primer minister of Estonia, has made her pitch to become the next foreign policy chief of the European Union by issuing stark warnings against Russia's "imperialistic dream" and China's "unfair competition".

Both nations, together with Iran and North Korea, are seeking to exploit supply chains and societal openness to sow chaos across the bloc, she adds.

"I will also spare no effort in defending the EU's values and protecting the EU's interest vis-a-vis systemic rivals," Kallas writes in a letter addressed to the European Parliament, published ahead of her confirmation hearing next month.

Kallas is among the 26 European Commissioners-designate under the scrutiny of MEPs, who have the power to reject their candidacies. Lack of competence, past controversies and partisan infighting can sway the outcome of the hearings.

While the Estonian is considered on safe ground, her nomination as High Representative makes her one of the most closely watched figures in the spotlight. In her written replies, Kallas provides a first glimpse into how she intends to perform the job.

"European security is deeply personal to me as a native of a country that has long told others that Russia's imperialistic dream never died," she writes.

Her two main priorities will be Russia's invasion of Ukraine and new efforts to strengthen the EU's security and defence capabilities, which must be tackled "with urgency." Although member states have drastically ramped up their military spending in response to the Kremlin's aggression, Brussels wants to take the work much further, particularly on cross-border cooperation and common investments.

Ursula von der Leyen has said defence will be at the heart of her next European Commission and cut across all policy fields. Kallas shares the sentiment and argues the Ukraine war has pushed the EU to "do more, do better and do it faster."

"How we respond to Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine tells the world who we are and the values we stand for," she says. "We are still not doing and delivering enough. We need to do everything we can to help Ukraine win the war against Russia."

Russia and Ukraine are the most mentioned countries in the letter and have a bearing on most of the proposals that Kallas pitches in the 21-page letter, including ways to bypass national vetoes. (Hungary is still blocking €6.6 billion for Ukraine.)

Geopolitics and geoeconomics

But Kallas also saves some lines for China, which she firmly describes as one of the EU's "systematic rivals."

This represents a departure from the triple category promoted by the current High Representative, Josep Borrell, who dubbed Beijing a "partner for cooperation, an economic competitor and a systemic rival" depending on the topic.

"My priority in engaging with China will be to safeguard the EU’s geopolitical and economic security," Kallas tells MEPs.

"The most pressing challenges here are China's support for Russia as well as structural imbalances between the EU and China that result from non-market policies and practices, which create unfair competition and an unlevel playing field."

Echoing von der Leyen's thinking, Kallas speaks of a "new foreign economic policy" where "geopolitics and geoeconomics go together." Brussels has urged member states to ramp up oversight of their technology exports to prevent high-end products, such as quantum computing, microchips and AI, from ending up in China's hands.

Governments acknowledge close surveillance has become necessary but have so far resisted the Commission's efforts to control exports and investment flows.

Kallas believes an "assertive" joint response is indispensable to navigate the 21st century and ensure the EU is protected against "malign external influence."

"Actors such as Russia, Iran, North Korea, and partly China, aim at weaponising interdependencies and exploiting the openness of our societies against us," she says.

"We must be prepared. From the rapid analysis of threats, to using existing instruments to their full potential, including the new horizontal sanctions regime on hybrid threats."

Notably, the Estonian makes no explicit reference to Israel and Hamas and instead talks about "the crisis in the Middle East" and the need to advance a two-state solution.

The hearing of Kaja Kallas is scheduled to take place on 12 November at 9.00 CET before five different parliamentary committees.