EU to Re-evaluate Ties with Israel, Focus on Ukraine Support – Von der Leyen Address
in a speech to the European parliament, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a series of proposed actions regarding Israel and Ukraine, alongside calls for internal EU reform. The move comes amid growing international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Von der Leyen cited “catastrophic” images of suffering, including “people killed while begging for food” and “mothers holding lifeless babies,” as justification for a re-evaluation of the EU’s relationship with Israel. She stated the Commission will propose sanctions targeting “extremist [Israeli] ministers and on violent settlers,” as well as a partial suspension of the association agreement concerning trade-related matters.
The Commission President also announced a freeze on “bilateral support” to Israel, though this will not impact funding for Israeli civil society organizations or Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial institution. The halt in payments is expected to affect approximately €14 million allocated to projects aimed at improving institutional cooperation between the EU and israel, and future funding of around €6 million annually intended to strengthen relations.
Von der Leyen acknowledged criticism of the commission’s response to the conflict in Gaza, noting she has been a frequent target of that criticism for being perceived as too slow to act.Turning to Ukraine, Von der Leyen reiterated the need for continued support in its war with Russia. She proposed leveraging nearly €200 billion in frozen Russian assets to provide “reparation loans” for Ukraine. Additionally, she suggested hosting an international summit dedicated to securing the return of Ukrainian children abducted by russia as the start of the full-scale invasion.
Describing Europe as being in a “fight for its future,” Von der Leyen warned that “battle lines for a new world order based on power are being drawn right now.” She questioned weather the EU possesses the resolve to confront these challenges,or will be hampered by internal divisions.
To address potential roadblocks in foreign policy decision-making, Von der Leyen proposed moving away from the requirement of unanimous agreement from all 27 EU member states. This change is aimed at preventing individual nations, such as Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, from consistently blocking crucial support for Ukraine.
Von der Leyen addressed a previously agreed-upon tariff deal with the United States, struck during the Trump administration, which imposed 15 per cent import levies on future trade. she defended the agreement as necessary to avoid a “full-fledged trade war,” stating she would “never gamble with people’s jobs or livelihoods.”
