EU chief says Europe in ‘a fight for our future’

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced new measures to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s full-scale invasion and she called for sanctions on Israel

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen delivered a state of the union speech. Picture: Pascal Bastien/AP

The European Union’s most powerful official has warned that Europe is battling against a series of threats posed by Russia, new global trade challenges and even other major world powers and must stake a claim to its independence.

In a state of the union speech, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced new measures to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s full-scale invasion, and she called for trade restrictions and sanctions on Israel over the war in Gaza.