Von Der Leyen Urges EU to Fight for Place in a Hostile World

The European Union’s top official warned that the bloc needs to regain its independence and bolster its defense capabilities as it faces challenges on multiple fronts.

“Europe must fight,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told lawmakers in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday. “For its place in a world in which many major powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile to Europe.”