The EU's most powerful official says Europe is battling against a series of threats posed by Russia: 'This must be Europe's independence moment' | Fortune

"The commission is the EU's executive arm. It proposes laws that impact the lives of around 450 million people across 27 countries, and monitors whether those rules are respected. In recent years, it has helped Europe to survive fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, break its dependency on Russian energy supplies and cope with a trade war launched by a traditional ally like the U.S."

"In a State of the Union speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced new measures to help Ukraine fight off Russia's full-scale invasion, and she called for trade restrictions and sanctions on Israel over the war in Gaza. She also defended the deal she reached with U.S. President Donald Trump to limit the impact of his global tariff war, despite agreeing to a 15% duty rate for most European exports to the United States."

Europe faces a series of security and economic threats from Russian aggression, shifting global trade dynamics, and antagonistic major powers, requiring stronger strategic autonomy. The European executive announced measures to assist Ukraine against Russia’s full-scale invasion and urged trade restrictions and sanctions over the Israel-Gaza war. A trade agreement with the United States was defended while accepting a 15% duty on most European exports to limit broader tariff fallout. The EU executive arm proposes and enforces laws for roughly 450 million people and has recently helped Europe recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, reduce reliance on Russian energy, and manage a transatlantic trade conflict.

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