Ursula von der Leyen says EU will "set out our ideas to make a European Security Council a reality"

During her annual State of the European Union speech, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will draft a proposal for a new European Security Council, envisaging participation from allies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway and Ukraine. She tied the idea to a rise in drone incursions, sabotage and cyber incidents that member states largely blame on Russia, and suggested a coordination framework modeled after NATO’s Article 4 to let all countries meet quickly when a nation feels threatened. The announcement was made alongside an invitation for Canada to become the EU’s first associate member and a wider programme covering trade, technology and defence cooperation, underscoring the bloc’s push to boost collective security and economic resilience.