Kallas’s failure to push through her plan underlines the difficulty of corralling all 27 countries in a common direction.
The blow to Kallas’s authority is evident. “If you say everywhere, as she does and she’s right, that we need to maintain unity, then you also have to prepare such important initiatives in a unity manner,” a senior EU diplomat complained.
“This should have been discussed.”
It’s not clear what happens from here with her arms effort, but Ukraine still has the overwhelming backing of EU countries.
In what’s becoming something of a habit, 26 countries minus Hungary approved a joint statement on Ukraine, reaffirming “continued and unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” as well as promising to “continue to provide Ukraine with regular and predictable financial support.”
Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán was left alone.
“Orbán chose isolation and a path of illiberal democracy against the obvious interest of the EU and, in fact, Hungary,” one diplomat said.
The effort to help Ukraine continues next week. French President Emmanuel Macron said that a “coalition of willing countries” will hold a summit on Ukraine next Thursday in Paris, with Zelenskyy also attending.