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Ursula von der Leyen has delivered her State of the European Union speech in Strasbourg, touching upon the most critical and pressing issues on the agenda.
Among her first lines was a firm condemnation of Russian incursion into Polish airspace, which shook the NATO alliance just hours before her address.
“Just today, we have seen a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s airspace by more than 10 Russian Shahed drones. Europe stands in full solidarity with Poland,” she said, prompting applause in the chamber.
She then offered a preview of the next EU package of sanctions against Russia, which is being prepared in coordination with the White House.
“Putin’s message is clear. And our response must be clear too,” she said.
“We need more pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table. We need more sanctions,” she added. “We are particularly looking at phasing out Russian fossil fuels faster. We’re looking at the shadow fleet and at third countries.”
Another highlight came when von der Leyen spoke about the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip caused by Israel’s military intervention and restrictions on emergency aid, saying “man-made famine can never be a weapon of war”.
Von der Leyen announced a proposal to partially suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, with a focus on trade. This step has been demanded by countries like Spain, Israel and Slovenia, but resisted by Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
“I am aware it will be difficult to find majorities,” she admitted. “And I know that any action will be too much for some. Too little for others. But we must all take our own responsibilities: Parliament, Council and Commission.”
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