STRASBOURG: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged Europe to assert its independence in what she described as a hostile world during her annual State of the European Union address.
She told the European Parliament that battlelines for a new world order based on power are being drawn right now and Europe must fight for its place in it.
Von der Leyen declared this must be Europe’s independence moment as she addressed the 27-nation bloc’s parliament.
Her rallying call comes amid criticism over a trade deal with US President Donald Trump and ongoing challenges from the Ukraine war.
The EU chief gave a trenchant defence of her deal with Trump, arguing it had helped avert the chaos of a trade war despite sporadic heckling from some lawmakers.
She focused attention on the actual war happening just beyond the bloc’s eastern flank after Poland and NATO scrambled defences against Russian drone incursions.
Von der Leyen condemned today’s reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s airspace by more than 10 Russian Shahed drones.
She stated that Europe will defend every inch of its territory and emphasized that Europe’s eastern flank keeps all of Europe safe from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.
The EU chief pledged to keep up support for Kyiv and pressure on Moscow as the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine drags on despite Trump’s peace push.
She announced that the EU wants to ensure Russia ultimately pays for damage inflicted in Ukraine using frozen assets to fund a new reparation loan.
Brussels will host an international summit on trying to return abducted Ukrainian children according to von der Leyen.
While united on Ukraine, the EU has been divided over its stance on the Gaza war and struggled to take action against Israel despite growing public anger.
Von der Leyen, long a staunch Israel ally, called for a tougher stance including sanctioning extremist Israeli ministers and curbing trade ties.
She described images from Gaza as simply catastrophic with people killed while begging for food and mothers holding lifeless babies.
The EU chief stated that man-made famine can never be a weapon of war and for the sake of children and humanity this must stop.
Getting these measures approved by EU member states will remain a major challenge according to political observers.
Von der Leyen made a broader call to reform EU decision-making and break free from the shackles of unanimity required among 27 capitals to avoid foreign policy deadlocks. – AFP