Overview

• Presenting her State of the Union in Strasbourg, Ursula von der Leyen called the Turnberry accord with the United States a source of crucial stability as Parliament prepares votes on lowering EU tariffs, with centrists undecided and social democrats threatening to oppose.
• She proposed using interest from frozen Russian assets to back a new "reparation loan" for Ukraine without seizing the assets, and announced a summit focused on securing the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russia.
• Condemning an unprecedented incursion of more than ten Russian Shahed drones into Polish and EU airspace, she pledged solidarity with Warsaw and urged a stronger European defense with independent strategic capabilities.
• On Gaza and EU–Israel relations, she outlined potential sanctions targeting Israeli "extremist" ministers and a partial suspension of the EU–Israel association on trade matters, drawing a sharp rebuke from Israel’s foreign minister.
• Far‑right and radical‑left groups moved to file censure motions over her leadership and the US deal, which are seen as unlikely to succeed, as recent polling reported a majority of Europeans calling for her resignation.