Overview
- Addressing EU ambassadors, the Commission president said Europe can no longer rely solely on a rules-based order and urged a rethink of doctrine, institutions and unanimity-driven decision-making.
- She vowed the EU will deliver the stalled €90 billion loan to Ukraine, arguing credibility and security are at stake despite member-state blocking.
- At a nuclear summit near Paris, she labeled Europe’s nuclear phaseout a strategic mistake and announced a €200 million EU guarantee to spur innovative technologies, with a focus on small modular reactors.
- Von der Leyen warned that the Middle East war is already hitting Europe, citing oil near $120 a barrel, gas price jumps of up to 30%, disrupted Hormuz shipping and an Iranian-made drone strike on a British base in Cyprus.
- Her assertive stance has triggered pushback, with Social Democrat lawmakers in the European Parliament floating possible no-confidence efforts and some capitals criticizing her diplomatic overreach.