E U Announces Plans to Establish Its Own Security Council with Other Countries

The European Union has announced plans to establish its own security council in cooperation with other countries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposal on Wednesday during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament. She backed the establishment of a European Security Council, with a proposal to include the leaders of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway, Ukraine, and Canada. She said Europe needs its own framework to counter hybrid attacks. The proposed Security Council would include Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada, and other partners.

The European Commission president also proposed a new mechanism to coordinate responses to hybrid attacks. These hybrid incidents include acts such as sabotage, arson, and drone incursions, which are often attributed to Russia. While such actions do not amount to conventional military attacks, they nevertheless undermine European security. According to the report, the proposals indicate that European officials want to take greater responsibility for the security of the continent. One reason for this is the uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump’s commitment to supporting Europe under the NATO military alliance. However, as details of the proposals have not yet been made public, some analysts have warned that the measures could duplicate existing NATO structures, potentially creating confusion, while the proposed forums could ultimately remain limited to platforms for discussion.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the European Union has incurred a loss of €90 billion due to the ongoing conflict around Iran and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Addressing the European Parliament, she said that since the start of the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, imported fossil fuels have cost the European Union an additional €90 billion, while providing no additional molecule of energy in return. Von der Leyen further said that the European Union needs to double down on its efforts to develop “cheap, home-grown clean energy,” whether from renewable or nuclear sources, bio methane, or other forms of energy. She said that achieving this energy sovereignty requires Europe to become more electrified. “Our goal is to double the share of electricity by 2040,” she said. According to von der Leyen, this could enable Europe to reduce the annual cost of its fossil fuel imports by €260 billion.