Europe’s top diplomat admitted the bloc was divided over Iran yesterday as infighting between Spain and Germany spilled into the open.
Kaja Kallas, head of the European Union‘s diplomatic arm, said countries had ‘different views’ about the conflict as she chaired a crunch meeting in Brussels in a bid to heal divisions and reach a unified position.
Asked about the bitter spat between Madrid and Berlin, she acknowledged the uphill struggle of getting all members to agree, saying: ‘We are in this European Union with 27 countries… so of course we might have different views.’
EU sources said officials had been ‘tying themselves in knots’ in recent days over how to respond to the crisis after being mocked for a flat-footed response.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen was ridiculed on Saturday, when the conflict broke out, for saying that an ’emergency’ meeting wouldn’t take place until Monday.
An emergency committee, formed during the Brexit and Covid-19 era, did meet – only to conclude it didn’t have the powers to advise EU countries on the stance they should take.
Different countries are also divided on how much their own militaries should be involved.
By yesterday afternoon, no coordinated EU evacuation had been launched to get citizens caught in the region to safety, leaving individual governments to shape their own efforts.
Kaja Kallas, head of the European Union’s diplomatic arm (pictured on March 5, 2025), said countries had ‘different views’ about the conflict in the Middle East
US President Donald Trump (pictured on March 5) was furious that Spain evicted US military aircraft from its bases
The deepest divide has been between Germany, France and Spain. While Germany’s leader Friedrich Merz has given his full-throated backing to the US-Israeli military action which triggered the conflict, branding Iran a ‘terrorist’ state, French president Emmanuel Macron believes it has breached international law and that Paris ‘cannot approve’.
Spain has sided with France and even evicted US military aircraft from its bases, sparking a furious US President Donald Trump to threaten to ‘cut off all trade’ with Madrid.
Mr Merz has backed Mr Trump’s long-term goals of nuclear and ballistic disarmament and refused to defend Madrid during a visit to Washington on Tuesday.
On Wednesday night Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told radio station Cadena SER that Madrid expected more ‘solidarity’ from Berlin. He also said former German Chancellors Angela Merkel or Olaf Scholz would have stood up for Spain in Washington.
Ms Kallas said that the bloc would push for a diplomatic solution to end the war.
‘France and Germany are completely split,’ added an EU source. ‘Italy wants a diplomatic solution because of friends it has in the region. Everyone is tying themselves in knots with what they can and can’t do.’