Europe is approaching a moment of reckoning. Speaking at the European Defence Agency’s annual conference in Brussels, European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas warned that the transatlantic relationship is undergoing a deep and irreversible shift. Using a stark “third bell” analogy, Kallas said Europe is running out of time to adapt as the United States shifts its strategic focus beyond the continent. She argued that no great power survives by outsourcing its security and called for urgent action on defence integration, faster military decision-making, and greater European responsibility within NATO. Kallas also pushed for limiting national vetoes through qualified majority voting, increased military support for Ukraine, and raised the prospect of a future European Defence Union — signalling a historic reordering of Europe’s security architecture.