European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warns the EU must boost its economy and defences faster, urging unity against US tariff threats and global instability.
STRASBOURG: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned the European Union must shed its “traditional caution” and move faster to boost its economy and defences.
Addressing the European Parliament, she said the bloc now lives in a world defined by “raw power”.
“The shift in the international order is not only seismic, but it is permanent,” von der Leyen told lawmakers.
She cited the volatile situation around Greenland, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and tensions from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.
“We will need a departure from Europe’s traditional caution,” she said.
“We now live in a world defined by raw power – whether economic or military, technological or geopolitical. And while many of us may not like it, we must deal with the world as it is now.”
Speaking as US President Donald Trump headed to the World Economic Forum in Davos, von der Leyen described his threat to slap tariffs on European allies as “simply wrong”.
“If we are now plunging into a dangerous downward spiral between allies, this would only embolden the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape,” she said.
“We are at a crossroads,” von der Leyen told lawmakers, as EU leaders prepare to meet in Brussels to forge a common response to Trump’s threats.
“Europe prefers dialogue and solutions – but we are fully prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination,” she said.
Trump insists mineral-rich Greenland is vital for US and NATO security against Russia and China.
His push to acquire it from Denmark has enraged European leaders, plunging US-EU relations to a historic low.
