The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, wanted a group of heavyweight former leaders to come up with fresh ideas to address Europe’s defense gaps. Instead, the initiative was killed before it even launched. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart look at why some capitals pushed back — and what the episode says about Kallas’ authority and the battle over who drives European defense policy.
Then, European Council President Antonio Costa continues his tour of European capitals as negotiations over the EU’s next long-term budget get more concrete.
And finally: could Ukraine and Poland make a joint bid to host the football World Cup?
Plus: We’re going live again on September 22. We’ll be recording the podcast in front of an audience as part of POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook Live event. You can register to attend here
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