politics
March 5, 2026
EU's Kallas and von der Leyen on 'collision course'
Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas are engaged in a backroom EU turf war amid the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Politico has reported

TL;DR
- A rift has emerged between EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and top diplomat Kaja Kallas over handling US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
- The EU's delayed response to the strikes exposed a power struggle, with von der Leyen and Kallas issuing separate statements.
- Sources suggest von der Leyen's team has sought to diminish Kallas' influence, citing past moves like creating a new Directorate-General for the Middle East.
- The EU's alignment with Washington on the Iran conflict has been noted, with a lack of condemnation for strikes causing casualties.
- Similar internal EU friction occurred during the Gaza war, impacting the bloc's ability to agree on sanctions.
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