‘Her day starts and ends with Russia’ – Kallas critics to Foreign Policy

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’ blunt communication style and fixation on Russia is damaging the bloc’s international relationships, officials and diplomats have told Foreign Policy magazine. 

Kallas secured her role largely through her anti-Russian rhetoric, but insiders argue that her tone has alienated partners and undermined the EU’s diplomatic standing.

“We expect her to be, well, more diplomatic,” one EU-based diplomat told the outlet, in a report published on Tuesday. 

“She is more cop than diplomat,” another source said. “Her day starts and ends with Russia.”

According to Foreign Policy, Kallas’ “tendency to say what’s on her mind” has strained ties with major nations, including China, India, and even the US. As a result, she has often been partially sidelined in favor of figures such as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The magazine cited several episodes as examples of her confrontational approach. In February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled a meeting with Kallas at the last minute after she posted on X that “the free world needs a new leader,” following a heated exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky at the White House.

In early September, the Chinese Foreign Ministry blasted Kallas for “irresponsible” remarks that appeared to downplay Russian and Chinese roles in the Allied victory in World War II. That same month, former Indian Foreign Minister Kanwal Sibal publicly stated Kallas was “not qualified” for her job, after she advocated for a “carrots and sticks” policy toward New Delhi.

An EU foreign policy representative defended Kallas, saying she is “direct and honest” and that “if you expect all-out flattery, you won’t get it from her.”

Moscow has long accused Brussels of promoting ideologically driven yet incompetent officials to senior posts, arguing that this approach only weakens the bloc.