PRAGUE: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday said that the European Union has yet to sufficiently enhance its arms production capabilities in response to geopolitical threats, particularly Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Speaking at the GLOBESEC forum in Prague, von der Leyen asserted, “Protecting Europe is primarily Europe’s responsibility. While NATO remains central to our collective defense, we need to build a much stronger European component.”
She described the notion that Europe had adequately addressed security issues at the start of this decade as an illusion, warning that the latter half of the decade will present significant risks.
“We Europeans must remain vigilant. Our focus must shift to the security aspect of all our actions. We need to view our Union as fundamentally a security project,” von der Leyen said.
