The paper highlighted Monday's European Union foreign ministerial meeting, which failed to reach an agreement on Kallas' proposal to significantly increase military aid to Ukraine to €40 billion.

Although Kallas said on Monday the plan had broad political support among member states, FAZ reported that the issue was not merely about settling outstanding details and technicalities — several countries fundamentally opposed it.

"Resistance to the initiative is not only coming from Hungary but also from France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. These countries are fiercely fighting against making a significantly larger contribution. So far, their combined efforts in assisting Ukraine amount to less than what Denmark alone has provided," the newspaper wrote.

According to FAZ, the €40 billion initiative was initially introduced by Kallas' predecessor, Josep Borrell, but Kallas removed it from the agenda after taking office. The newspaper's journalist suggested she unexpectedly reintroduced the topic following the Munich Security Conference. "Some diplomats argue that she should have prepared this better, particularly regarding those countries that had close ties with Borrell," the article stated, likely alluding to Borrell's stronger relationship with Southern European nations.

"Evidently, Kallas did not help her case when, in the first weeks of her tenure, she removed several high-ranking Italian and Spanish officials from the European External Action Service (EEAS). This included EEAS Secretary General Stefano Sannino, the agency's highest-ranking official. Some governments were bewildered by this, according to anonymous officials. Such personnel decisions inevitably lead to conflicts. Furthermore, there is a growing number of EEAS staff members who now complain about the new leadership style. Reports indicate that Kallas' cabinet is isolating itself and does not utilize the expertise of the 5,300-strong external service," FAZ described.

Another issue tied to Kallas, FAZ pointed out, is the desire of European countries to have a role in the Ukraine-Russia peace process currently being mediated by the United States.

"However, according to some diplomats, the EU's foreign policy chief sidelined herself by criticizing Washington too harshly. She referred to Trump's pressure to end the war in Ukraine as a 'dirty deal,' and when she arrived in Washington at the end of February, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio quickly canceled their scheduled meeting, citing scheduling conflicts. Kallas was unable to secure a meeting with any other U.S. government official either," the German newspaper reported.

FAZ also recalled how, after the February 28 clash at the White House — where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faced verbal attacks from the U.S. president and vice president — Kallas posted on social media: "It has become clear today that the free world needs a new leader."

Ukraine is Europe!
We stand by Ukraine.

We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the agressor.

Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) February 28, 2025

FAZ further noted how European Council President António Costa allegedly asked EU leaders whether they supported creating a special envoy position for Ukraine. Some in Brussels interpreted this as an insult to Kallas, as such responsibilities should fall under her role. While EU leaders did not revisit the issue at the March summit, the topic has not been entirely abandoned, according to FAZ. "A prominent figure is being sought, ideally a former head of government," the newspaper wrote.

FAZ next recalled the tensions between Kallas and Germany when, on her first day in office during a visit to Kyiv, she declared: "The European Union wants Ukraine to win this war."

While several other countries close to Russia share this view, such a stance has never been explicitly stated in European Council conclusions, of which Kallas is a member and which serves as the EU's highest decision-making body.

The Council's standard formulation is that Ukraine will be supported "as long and as intensively as necessary" and that Russia must "not emerge victorious." This phrasing, which was achieved partly through the efforts of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, reportedly angered Berlin when Kallas introduced her new rhetoric, FAZ wrote.

Another point of contention, the newspaper noted, is the issue of Russian assets. Upon taking office, Kallas immediately instructed the EEAS to explore ways to confiscate Russian assets frozen within the EU.

"While the Baltic states have long advocated for this, the eurozone's leading members strongly oppose it. The Council's legal service concluded that such a move would carry significant legal risks, and the European Central Bank warned of potential investor backlash," FAZ reported.

The German newspaper remarked that when Kallas took office as the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy in December, expectations were high. At 47, Kallas represents a younger generation compared to António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She is also the first former female prime minister to hold the position.

FAZ noted that when Kallas failed to secure the role of NATO secretary general after Jens Stoltenberg, partly due to concerns from countries like Germany that she would further strain already difficult relations with Russia, observers believed she would still have a broad policy portfolio as the head of the EU's foreign service. This was tied to hopes that she would coordinate cooperation with various nations, FAZ concluded.

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