EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas criticized a recent summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping [1].
The remarks highlight growing European anxiety that bilateral deals between superpowers may ignore the security and economic interests of smaller nations. Kallas said that such alignments could leave the European Union and other smaller states vulnerable to the strategic whims of the world's largest powers.
Using an analogy about elephants, Kallas said that things are worse for others when the elephants make love [1]. She used this imagery to describe the potential consequences of the U.S. and China growing closer, suggesting that the resulting shifts in global power dynamics often crush those in their path.
Kallas also addressed the strategic perception of the European Union on the global stage. She said that the United States, China, and Russia are all uncomfortable with a united European Union [1]. This tension suggests that a cohesive European bloc is viewed as a challenge to the strategic interests of the three major powers.
During her remarks, Kallas referenced a speech delivered by U.S. Vice President JD Vance [1, 2]. While the specific details of the speech were not the primary focus of her critique, the reference served as a bridge to her concerns regarding the current direction of U.S. foreign policy.
The summit between Trump and Xi took place in the United States shortly before Kallas spoke [1]. The meeting comes at a time of shifting alliances, where the EU seeks to maintain its own strategic autonomy while remaining tied to the NATO alliance, and transatlantic trade partnerships.
“Things are worse for others when the elephants make love”
The friction between Kallas and the current U.S. administration reflects a broader struggle for European strategic autonomy. By framing the U.S., China, and Russia as forces that oppose a united EU, Kallas is signaling that Europe cannot rely solely on the goodwill of superpowers. The 'elephants' analogy underscores a fear that a transactional approach to diplomacy between Washington and Beijing could dismantle existing multilateral norms that protect smaller sovereign states.
