Von der Leyen: EU to create European security council involving Ukraine
In the annual State of the European Union debate, European Commission President Von der Leyen and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) discussed the Commission’s work over the past year and the EU’s most immediate challenges.
Speaking about security and the hybrid threats Europe is facing, Von der Leyen said that Europe needs an emergency security protocol to coordinate the European response, to deter further escalation and to mitigate the impact.
Given the nature and scale of the risks at play, she announced that the Commission will present its ideas “to make a European security council a reality.” According to Von der Leyen, it will involve partners like Canada, Norway, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Von der Leyen also said the EU would give its “strongest-ever support to Ukraine over the toughest winter of the war”.
“Together with our partners, we will provide humanitarian aid and reinforce Ukraine’s supplies of power and heating,” said the President of the European Commission. “Second, we will strengthen Ukraine’s air defences. Last week, for the first time, we approved the purchase of American Patriot interceptor missiles.”
She also reiterated that the EU will tighten its sanctions on Russia.
Von der Leyen also announced a new international connectivity project which will link the South Caucasus and Central Asia directly to the European market – so-called “the Middle Corridor”.
“Through Global Gateway, we will aim to crowd in up to €12 billion in public and private investment. Our goal is to diversify routes, triple trade flows and slash freight transit times by 2030,” said Von der Leyen. To make this a reality, the EU will organise a Regional Connectivity Summit.
The State of the Union (SOTEU) address is an annual speech by the President of the European Commission to the European Parliament that sets the Union’s priorities for the year ahead.
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2026 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen
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