The first meeting of the new high-level group that the European Union planned to establish in the field of defense was canceled before it could take place in Brussels. The meeting had been scheduled to begin at 09:00 Brussels time.
An EU official said that, following discussions with ministers, it had been decided not to proceed with the initiative. The official said new ways of engaging with member states were being assessed.
Claims over objections
It was claimed that the initiative had been canceled because France, Germany and Italy opposed it. The group was not expected to have decision-making powers and was instead intended to serve mainly as an advisory body.
Criticism of Kallas
The meeting’s cancellation came at a time when Kaja Kallas and the European External Action Service she leads were facing criticism. The criticism included claims that Kallas had at times made statements going beyond the common position formed among the EU’s 27 members, launched initiatives without sufficient consultation with some capitals and struggled to build support among member states.
An informal working paper that emerged publicly in early June and was described as originating with the French government included proposals to reorganize Kallas’s responsibilities and powers. Germany was also said to have led these proposals alongside France.
The group’s planned tasks
Following the informal EU defense ministers’ meeting on September 1, Kallas said that action had not been taken quickly enough to address identified gaps in Europe’s conventional military capabilities within NATO.
The new high-level group was planned to bring together former senior political and military leaders from some EU countries, as well as the United Kingdom and Ukraine. It was intended to prepare a report containing concrete recommendations on the steps needed for European defense and to develop unconventional solutions.
