Von der Leyen Advocates for EU ‘defense union’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed the establishment of a comprehensive "defense union" across the bloc. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The European Commission President has praised the bloc's "historic" rearmament initiative.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged the EU to strive for the establishment of its own "defense union" rather than continuing its dependence on the United States.
“We have clearly entered a new era of harsh geostrategic competition,” von der Leyen noted during a press conference in Brussels on Sunday, which marked the first 100 days of her second five-year term.
“We see that sovereignty, but also ironclad commitments, are called into question. Everything has become transactional,” she further emphasized.
Von der Leyen highlighted the recently introduced plan to secure €800 billion as a “historic” advancement in fortifying the EU’s military capabilities. “This can be the foundation of a European defense union,” she stated, adding that the union could “team up with other like-minded countries, such as the UK or Norway or Canada.”
The president also mentioned that the European Commission would soon publish a white paper to analyze “threat scenarios” and suggest measures to tackle them.
US President Donald Trump has long urged European allies to boost their defense budgets. His comments regarding Ukraine, which blamed the country for tensions with Russia and included a suspension of military support to Kiev, have frustrated several EU member states.
Trump’s stark shift from the previous administration's policies of unconditional support for Ukraine has led the EU to reevaluate its defense strategies.
Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron labeled Russia “a threat to Europe,” hinting that France’s nuclear capabilities might be utilized to safeguard other EU nations. Moscow has characterized his remarks as “highly confrontational.”
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged the EU to strive for the establishment of its own "defense union" rather than continuing its dependence on the United States.
“We have clearly entered a new era of harsh geostrategic competition,” von der Leyen noted during a press conference in Brussels on Sunday, which marked the first 100 days of her second five-year term.
“We see that sovereignty, but also ironclad commitments, are called into question. Everything has become transactional,” she further emphasized.
Von der Leyen highlighted the recently introduced plan to secure €800 billion as a “historic” advancement in fortifying the EU’s military capabilities. “This can be the foundation of a European defense union,” she stated, adding that the union could “team up with other like-minded countries, such as the UK or Norway or Canada.”
The president also mentioned that the European Commission would soon publish a white paper to analyze “threat scenarios” and suggest measures to tackle them.
US President Donald Trump has long urged European allies to boost their defense budgets. His comments regarding Ukraine, which blamed the country for tensions with Russia and included a suspension of military support to Kiev, have frustrated several EU member states.
Trump’s stark shift from the previous administration's policies of unconditional support for Ukraine has led the EU to reevaluate its defense strategies.
Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron labeled Russia “a threat to Europe,” hinting that France’s nuclear capabilities might be utilized to safeguard other EU nations. Moscow has characterized his remarks as “highly confrontational.”
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
