US, China and Russia prefer a divided Europe, Kallas warns – POLITICO

TALLINN — The Trump administration doesn’t like a unified European Union because the bloc is a geopolitical power that Washington has to contend with, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday, urging EU member countries not to weaken the bloc by pursuing bilateral agreements with the U.S.

“They don't like the European Union, that’s very clear,” Kallas said at the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn on Sunday. “But we need to understand why they don't like the EU; why China doesn't like the EU, why Russia doesn't. It is because if we stick together, if we operate together, then we are equal powers, we are strong.”

Kallas said it was “of course easier” to deal with individual countries, which are much smaller, than with a bloc that can act as an equal power. She said rhetoric such as “my relations with you are great, but I don't like the European Union” were part of a divide-and-conquer strategy.