‘Nothing Is off the Table’, Says EU Chief on Defense Funding

Warning that European values such as democracy and the rule of law “were under threat in an increasingly transactional world”, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, has said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to increasing defense spending, The Guardian reported.

There is a new sense of urgency in the geopolitical sphere, she said, adding that “something fundamental” has shifted since she began her second term in office.

“Our European values, democracy, freedom, the rule of law are under threat,” von der Leyen told reporters at a press conference on Sunday. “We see that sovereignty, but also ironclad commitments are called into question. Everything has become transactional.”

The US was still an ally, von der Leyen affirmed even as she underlined, “we have our discussion points without any question”.

“From the viewpoint of the European Union, I think it’s a very strong wake-up call,” the report quoted the EU chief as saying.

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