European leaders warned that the global rules-based order is under increasing strain and that the European Union must adapt its foreign policy and security strategy to a changing geopolitical environment marked by rising conflicts and violations of international law.
Speaking at the annual conference of EU ambassadors in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said the international system established after the Second World War is facing growing pressure from geopolitical rivalries and legal breaches.
“Europe can no longer be a custodian for the old world order, for a world that has gone and will not return,” von der Leyen told diplomats. She said the European Union would continue to defend the rules-based international order, but warned that relying solely on existing frameworks may no longer be sufficient to protect European interests in an increasingly unstable global environment.
Von der Leyen told EU ambassadors that the bloc must adjust its foreign policy tools to reflect what she described as “times of radical change.” She said the EU faces a choice between maintaining past diplomatic habits or developing a more strategic foreign policy capable of responding to modern security challenges. “We will always defend and uphold the rules-based system that we helped to build with our allies,” she said. “But we can no longer rely on it as the only way to defend our interests.”
Speaking after von der Leyen, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, linked the erosion of international legal norms to geopolitical developments since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kallas said the invasion marked a turning point in global security and contributed to what she described as the weakening of international law and accountability mechanisms. “Without restoring international law, together with accountability, we are doomed to see repeated violations of the law, disruption and chaos,” Kallas told the ambassadors. She said the war signalled to other actors that global legal norms might not be enforced consistently, encouraging the return of what she described as coercive power politics.
Neither von der Leyen nor Kallas directly described the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as violations of international law during their speeches. However, both emphasised the need for Europe to respond pragmatically to shifting geopolitical realities. Von der Leyen said the EU must address “the world as it actually is” while continuing to promote its values and legal principles in international relations.
In addition to legal and geopolitical concerns, both officials stressed that the EU should strengthen its defence and deterrence capabilities and expand its network of international partnerships. They said building new trade agreements and security partnerships with like-minded countries would reduce strategic dependencies that could be exploited by geopolitical rivals.
Kallas said several mid-sized countries were increasingly seeking stable partnerships as global tensions rise. “Dependencies make us weak and give undue leverage to those who seek to carve the world into spheres of influence,” she said.
Von der Leyen also raised concerns about the EU’s internal foreign policy decision-making process, particularly the requirement of unanimity among the bloc’s 27 member states when adopting foreign policy decisions. Von der Leyen said resolving the dispute was important for the EU’s credibility and called for a reassessment of how the bloc conducts foreign policy. “We need a clear-eyed and hard look at our foreign policy in today’s world, both in how it is designed and how it is deployed,” she told the ambassadors. She added that the EU must consider whether its current institutions and decision-making structures, many of which were developed during a period of post-war stability and multilateral cooperation, are equipped to respond to today’s geopolitical challenges.
Von der Leyen also acknowledged that the EU’s ability to influence global events has limits, even if it strengthens its defence capabilities and expands its diplomatic partnerships. “We have to be honest that we cannot solve every global issue or perfectly reconcile our values and our interests on each occasion,” she said. However, she said the bloc could still determine the principles guiding its foreign policy and the way it engages internationally.
The remarks reflect ongoing discussions within EU institutions about how the bloc should adapt its diplomatic, legal and security frameworks in response to increasing geopolitical tensions and challenges to the international rules-based order.