Europe's top diplomat appears to be feeling the strain of global crises—enough to joke that now might be the moment to take up drinking. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief and former Estonian prime minister, reportedly told senior members of the European Parliament in a closed-door meeting that she doesn't usually drink alcohol, but given the state of world affairs, it might be a "good moment" to start. The remark, originally reported by Politico and not publicly denied by Kallas' team, came as she briefed Parliament group leaders on a series of overlapping conflicts and diplomatic headaches.
Kallas is juggling the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, US military operations in Venezuela, and mass protests against Iran's government. She also faces the challenge of steering a 27-member bloc that often moves slowly, even as events accelerate, per the Telegraph. The mood in the room was described as grim, with Denmark's status as both an EU member and the sovereign power over strategically important Greenland adding to concerns. The comment coincided with Danish and Greenlandic officials meeting at the White House amid renewed talk from President Trump about acquiring Greenland—a move with implications for Arctic security, rare-earth minerals, and the US Pituffik Space Base.
Kallas' quip prompted lighthearted responses from other European officials. Latvia's foreign minister suggested a domestic gin, while a Finnish MEP recommended a strong Finnish beer, "if you really have to," while stressing the need to stay focused because conditions are unlikely to improve soon. Behind the humor, Kallas is pushing for a new package of EU sanctions against Iran, per Euronews, targeting officials involved in suppressing protests. She also told lawmakers that some member states are blocking efforts to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, despite a call from the European Parliament to do so; Italy and France have been reported as among the holdouts.
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